Author Talk: CNN's Abby Phillip on Jesse Jackson's Legacy

The Author Series welcomes CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip for a special visit celebrating her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power (2025, Flatiron Books). Focusing on Jackson's presidential runs in 1984 and, especially, 1988, Phillip highlights how Jackson built an unlikely coalition that showed how Black political power could be consolidated.

His experience working under Martin Luther King; his organizing the SLCC’s Operation Breadbasket in Chicago and beyond; and his roots in the deep South combined into two astonishingly impactful presidential campaigns. Appealing to the working people of urban enclaves like that of Chicago, young people on college campuses, and Black people across the South, he created the modern Democratic coalition—one that has been used by all major Democrats seeking national success from Obama to Biden to Harris.

This is NOT a ticketed event. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register to receive important updates about Abby's visit, including details about how to purchase the book!

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