FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Council Communications
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Feb. 17, 2026

Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Julian Bond Issues Statement on the Passing of Civil Rights Icon and Friend, Jesse Jackson

ATLANTA — Atlanta City Council Post 1 At-Large Councilmember Michael Julian Bond shares the following statement in response to the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson.

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of the great Jesse Jackson. Not only was he a man of tremendous societal, political, and cultural impact, but he also possessed a great heart and a mighty spirit of love for his fellow man. He was a close confidante of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and carried forward his example, preaching the gospel of nonviolent social change, cross-cultural collaboration, and deliberate activism to tear down segregation and to attack sexism, racism and other forms of discrimination.

“Beyond that, he moved the Civil Rights Movement into its next sphere of battle: economic empowerment, and equality in the boardroom as well as the streets. He took America to task across the full gamut of human interaction and interplay. He petitioned America to be fair in the disbursement of its freedoms among all people-red, yellow, black and white-as equals and to live up to its creed.

“I, along with all Americans who believe in freedom, equality and the pursuit of justice, mourn his passing. Having known him my entire life, he was more than a public figure in my imagination. He was a friend, a mentor, and a favorite uncle. My deepest condolences are extended to the Jackson family for this incredible loss of a beloved husband, father and grandfather. All the world mourns, but we find hope in that the rainbow of the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. He was somebody. He was a person of consequence, belief and faith who put it into action to show us that we were somebody too.”

About Atlanta City Council

The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the city. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and decides on many land use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the Council’s jurisdiction.

The City Council is composed of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives are Council President: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 1: Jason Winston; District 2: Kelsea Bond; District 3: Byron Amos; District 4: Jason S. Dozier; District 5: Liliana Bakhtiari; District 6: Alex Wan; District 7: Thomas Worthy; District 8: Mary Norwood; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Wayne Martin; District 12: Antonio Lewis; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Eshé Collins.

To learn more about the Atlanta City Council, please visit http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/. For the latest updates, follow the Atlanta City Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Office of Council Communications Contacts: 

William Doughty
wdoughty@atlantaga.gov
404-330-6056 

Tiffanie Kelly
trkelly@atlantaga.gov
404-330-6014