Samuel L. Jackson Honors Late Rev. Jesse Jackson At NAACP Image Awards, ‘Power To The People’

Samuel L. Jackson donned traditional African garb while issuing an impassioned tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson at the 57th NAACP Image Awards.

Rev. Jesse Jackson was honored with a standing ovation at the 57th NAACP Image Awards after Samuel L. Jackson delivered a heartfelt tribute celebrating the civil rights icon’s legacy.

The acclaimed, award-winning actor took the stage at the 2026 Image Awards on Feb. 28, elegantly dressed in traditional African attire, to deliver a soul-stirring salute to the esteemed civil rights and LGBTQ rights advocate, politician, and ordained Baptist minister who passed away on Feb. 17 at age 84. Jackson kicked off his speech with references to Jackson’s humble beginnings in South Carolina to his rise “to the top of the mountain” through two historic presidential campaigns and pivotal roles in expanding the modern civil rights movement into the realms of political power and economic justice.

“We all know the story of Jesse Jackson,” Jackson said, in a clip shared online. “Born to an 18-year-old unwed mother in Greenville, South Carolina. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, getting out on a path that led him to the top of the mountain.”

Samuel L. Jackson honors the late great Rev. Jesse Jackson at the 2026 #NAACPImageAwards pic.twitter.com/iuHJxTt97L
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The Academy Honorary Award recipient went on to highlight Rev. Jackson’s decades of impactful civil rights work — from his early days as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., to founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, to championing global human rights causes, including negotiating the release of political prisoners and advocating for racial equality, voting rights, and economic empowerment.

“For over half a century — which is a long damn time to be on the front lines — he advocated for the poor, the disenfranchised, for those who needed work,” Jackson continued. “And he found jobs for our community in every endeavor, including entertainment.” Jackson also acknowledged how the activist inspired him in his youth. “He inspired a young man who has the same last name as his — one Samuel L. Jackson.”

Referencing Jackson’s more than 50 years of turning civil rights activism into political influence and broadening the national dialogue on race, economic justice, and inclusion, he issued a call to action for everyone in the room to confront injustice, no matter how small. He nodded to Rev. Jackson’s iconic “I Am Somebody” speech before concluding with a raised Black Power salute.

“All of us, in some degree or another, have spoken out, marched, protested… inspired by a man who now, I’m sure, resides with the good Lord in heaven,” Jackson said. “…Whenever we see that a wrong must be made right, all of us can ask ourselves: W.W.J.D. — what would Jesse do?”

“We will continue his mission,” he added. “We will carry the torch he lit and keep hope alive. And we will not be erased from this country’s history because we are somebody… Power to the People.”