Corey P. Paris

Friends,

Today, our nation mourns the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, a giant in the civil rights movement, a prophetic voice for justice, and a leader whose life opened doors for millions of people.

For me, this loss feels personal. Growing up, I remember watching Reverend Jackson’s 1988 Democratic National Convention speech, years after it was delivered, as a young man and hearing him declare, “I am somebody.”

Those words were more than a line in a speech. They were a lifeline. They reminded so many of us that dignity, worth, and possibility belong to all of us, no matter where we come from.

As a young boy, I longed to see someone who looked like me step onto the national stage and run for the highest office in the land. Reverend Jackson did that. He did not just run for president. He expanded what felt possible. He helped a generation of young people believe that we, too, belonged in rooms where decisions were made.

Through the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he built a movement that brought people of different races, faiths, and backgrounds together around a shared vision of justice and opportunity. He fought for workers, for voting rights, for better schools, and for economic fairness. He marched with Dr. King, stood with laborers on picket lines, and spoke truth to power across this country and around the world.

One of his most powerful reminders to the nation was this: “Our flag is red, white, and blue, but our nation is a rainbow, red, yellow, brown, black, and white, and we are all precious in God’s sight.” That vision of an inclusive and hopeful America defined his life’s work.

Reverend Jackson showed us that faith and justice belong together, that public service can be a moral calling, and that the promise of this country grows stronger when more people are invited in.

As we remember his life, may we honor him not just with our words, but with our actions. Let us keep building the kind of country he believed in, one where every child can stand tall and say, without hesitation, “I am somebody.”

As always, if I can be of assistance to you and your family, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at Corey.Paris@cga.ct.gov or call 860-240-8585.

You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Sincerely,

Corey P. Paris
State Representative