An African Nova Scotian church leader says the community is devastated by the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in 2009 and left a lasting impact on the community.
Rev. Lennett Anderson, the senior pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Halifax, says there’s always been a closeness between the experience of African Nova Scotians and African Americans.
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Jackson’s daughter Santita Jackson confirmed that her father, who had a rare neurological disorder, died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family.
The 84-year-old reverend who led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for decades was also the protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a two-time presidential candidate.
Anderson said Jackson’s death is being mourned across the province and beyond, and that the best way to honour his loss is by holding on to hope and fighting for justice.
Jackson visited the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Cherrybrook, N.S., in the summer of 2009.
— With files from The Associated Press
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