Reverend Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He is known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s to end racial segregation and discrimination. He has also been a leader in the fight for economic justice and gender equality. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. He is the founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a social justice organization that works to empower marginalized communities.