After Joan Crawford’s death, when actress Bette Davis was asked to say something kind about her longtime rival, Davis reportedly replied, "You should never say bad things about the dead, only good. Joan Crawford is dead. Good."

That story illustrates an old maxim: politicians and pundits with decorum often refrain from criticizing public figures immediately after they die. With the passage of time, however, history requires a more objective assessment of a person's legacy – their accomplishments, failures, and lasting impact, if any, on society.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson departed this life about six months ago, on February 17, 2026. To his admirers, he was an aggressive advocate for black Americans. To others, he represented something far different: someone who transformed his civil rights activism into a profit center built on grievance, intimidation, and opportunism. Unquestionably, he became a controversial figure.

As many people know, Jackson was present in Memphis on April 4, 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. That association propelled him into the national spotlight. In the years that followed, he attempted to cultivate the image of King's spiritual and political heir. That ploy didn’t work because it could not work: It was soon apparent that Jackson lacked the moral depth, intellectual rigor, and unifying vision that made King a........

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