It all started with a coat.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams opened his address at the 25th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit with his earliest interactions with the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The civil rights icon was running for president in 1984 when a young Adams was one of the many hands to help along the ride. From then on, Adams said Jackson was always a figure he looked up to.
“It’s amazing how much you can learn just from holding someone’s coat,” Adams said.
The annual summit brings leaders in the financial industry and employees alike together to discuss how more members of the Black community can get involved and move up the ladder to more powerful positions.
“The blueprint starts here,” said Adams. “In what started 25 years ago, I think we’re now going to engage into the next level of what Rev. Jackson sought with his true vision and how we can build the fourth leg of power.”
Jackson apologized to the public for his speech due to his bout with Parkinson’s disease and recovering from a hard battle with COVID-19 in 2021. Parkinson’s is a battle he said he will defeat. As his address went on, though, his speech got stronger and stronger. At the end of the speech, he gave his famous “I am somebody” call-and-response. Just like he showed at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ Atlanta appearance in January, Jackson is still very much dedicated to the fight for civil rights until he can’t fight anymore.
After a trio of morning panels and a luncheon, Jackson and event attendees went to the New York Stock Exchange to watch the legend ring the bell, signifying the end of the trading day. After the ringing ceremony, there was a reception for Jackson and his guests that concluded with the reverend gathering everyone together to pray.
