WNBA: How player activism has honored the legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson

On Tuesday, the world woke up to the news that Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away at the age of 84 after a recent battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Jackson was one of the quintessential political and social figures in the latter half of the 20th century.

He was a student of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who carried on the tradition of non-violent resistance to injustice. Rev. Jackson was also an institution builder who founded the Rainbow/Push Coalition in Chicago, which continued to do on-the-ground work for social justice. He also ran for US president twice in 1984 and 1988, ushering in a new era of Black political leadership and, in the process, galvanizing millions with his message of hope and inclusion.

It was those very distinct principles that would later be embraced by WNBA players.

In other words, the issues that Rev. Jackson had fought for—racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrants’ rights and labor rights—are what WNBA player have fought for.

Jackson’s groundbreaking presidential platform centered on intersectional justice, the idea that everyone, regardless of identity group, needs to be looked after in matters of education, health care and employment. Fast forward, the players in the WNBA carried the baton, symbolically passed to them by Rev. Jackson, and made it a focal point of how they operate.

Across the league’s soon-to-be 30 years, WNBA players have made it their mission to center their lived experiences beyond the court. They made a point of ensuring that the lives of Black and brown women have been foremost to the discussion of racial justice in America.

This ethos was most evident in the 2020 Wubble. While George Floyd’s name was being said loud and clear, WNBA players made sure that Breonna Taylor and other women of color killed by the police were given equal respect. In a 2020 Op-Ed for the Chicago Sun-Times, Rev. Jackson heralded the players and others athletes for taking a collective stand.

Much like Rev. Jackson preaching about the importance of voting, the WNBA made that a key component in 2020, when they were active in eventually electing Rev. Raphael Warnock to the US Senate over former Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler. The same held true during the 2024 election cycle when Nneka Ogwumike took command of LeBron James’ More Than a Vote Initiative.

Rev. Jackson strongly advocated for gender equality throughout his career. WNBA players naturally fight for justice in a male-dominated sporting landscape, addressing issues ranging from equal pay to increased media coverage.

Before it became mainstream, Rev. Jackson was a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, including speaking at the 1987 and 1993 Marches on Washington for LGBTQ+ rights. Fast forward, and WNBA players have been ahead of the curve when it comes to queer justice, as more and more players are out and proud and strongly coming to the defense of transgender people and other queer people.

Rev. Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition made it a point to bridge gaps among groups on labor rights and to ensure workers got what was theirs. Certainly, the ongoing CBA negotiations, in which players are exercising their power to fight for the pay they deserve, all while legitimizing their right to organize, are in keeping with that.

In 1984, Rev. Jackson led a march in New York to protest immigration raids and the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), known as the Simpson-Mazzoli. Today, players in the WNBA, including Brenna Stewart, Paige Bueckers, Brianna Turner and others, called out the recent actions of ICE in Minneapolis and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

During his run for president, Rev. Jackson made it a point to advocate for Palestinian statehood. Today, Natasha Cloud is one of the league’s most vocal supporters for Palestinian Rights. Rev. Jackson was also instrumental in notable negotiations with countries such as Cuba, Syria and Yugoslavia that led to the release of American hostages. In 2022, WNBA players and their allies banded together in calling for the release of Brittney Griner when she was held up in a Russian prison on drug possession charges.

Rev. Jackson made it his mission to “Keep Hope Alive,” and the players of the WNBA are following his example and keeping that hope alive and well.