5 defining moments in Rev. Jesse Jackson’s relationship with Haiti

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s death marks the passing of a civil rights leader whose advocacy repeatedly intersected with Haiti and the Haitian diaspora.

Over four decades, Jackson appeared at protests, detention centers and prayer vigils tied to Haiti’s political turmoil, migration waves and natural disasters. While he was not a Haitian leader, his national stature brought attention to issues that many Haitian-Americans felt were ignored or misunderstood.

Here are five defining moments that shaped his relationship with Haiti and Haitians.

1. Joining Haitian refugee protests in Miami in 1980

In April 1980, Jackson marched in Miami alongside Haitians demanding political asylum for those fleeing repression under the Duvalier regime.

At the time, thousands of Haitians were arriving in South Florida by boat. U.S. authorities detained many and denied asylum claims at significantly higher rates than those from other countries. Protesters argued that Haitians were being treated unfairly and classified as economic migrants rather than refugees fleeing political persecution.

Jackson’s presence elevated the protests to national news and reframed the issue as part of the broader civil rights struggle.

2. Visiting Haitian detainees in 1981

By late 1981, Haitian detainees were being held at immigration facilities near Miami amid reports of overcrowding and hunger strikes.

Jackson visited a detention site operated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and criticized the government’s approach. He described the treatment of Haitian asylum seekers as a moral issue, linking immigration enforcement to racial inequities in the U.S.

His involvement helped push Haiti news into mainstream political discourse at a time when coverage often stigmatized Haitian migrants.

3. Raising Haiti during his presidential campaigns

During his presidential runs in 1984 and 1988, Jackson addressed U.S. foreign policy in the Caribbean and immigration disparities affecting Haitians.

He questioned why Haitians fleeing political repression were not granted the same protections as other groups. In cities such as Miami and New York, where Haitian American communities were growing, his campaigns helped legitimize Haiti-related issues as national political concerns.

Although he did not win the presidency, his campaigns broadened conversations about Haiti news and asylum policy.

4. Standing in solidarity after the 2010 earthquake

After the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, Jackson joined faith leaders and elected officials at a vigil in New York.

He stood alongside Rev. Al Sharpton and then-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to pray for victims and call for sustained U.S. support. The disaster renewed debates about Temporary Protected Status and deportations for Haitians living in the U.S.

5. Helping reshape the national narrative about Haitian migrants

In the 1980s and 1990s, Haitians arriving in the U.S. were often portrayed in dehumanizing ways in political rhetoric and media coverage.

Jackson publicly challenged those narratives, arguing that Haitians were asylum seekers and refugees fleeing violence and repression. Over time, advocacy from civil rights leaders, legal groups and Haitian organizations contributed to changes in how Haitian migrants were described and understood.

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