Where Do We Go from Here?

In the wake of Jesse Jackson Sr.’s passing, we must answer Dr. King’s enduring question—“Where do we go from here?”—by returning to God, reclaiming our unity, and moving onward together to protect the hard-won gains of the Civil Rights Movement.

Eric Guo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/33977223@N08/3584710648

The hearts of our nation are heavy. One of America’s statesmen has left the rest of us to continue the march toward freedom. His name is Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., and the Lord called him home on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

I must say that my heart was saddened upon the news of his passing. And it grew increasingly acute as I pondered what this meant for Black America. Please don’t get me wrong: Rev. Jackson believed in the Rainbow Coalition—a multiracial, multiethnic alliance that advocates for the advancement of the human rights of all people. But make no mistake: he started his civic engagement by championing the civil rights of Black Americans alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Is Still Our Fight

There are plenty of biographies, documentaries, and tributes to this historical figure. He was not only big in stature; he was big in substance. I will leave you to the people who are far more adept at such undertakings to inform you about the monumental feats he accomplished during his 84 years of life. What I want you to consider, and what troubles my spirit, is, in the words of Dr. King, “Where do we go from here?”

The valiant heroes of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s, who sacrificed life and limb for our civil liberties, are passing away. At the forefront of that movement were notable figures such as Dr. King, Rev. Jackson, and Congressman John Lewis. Yet, sixty years later, the victories they won are being subjected to an attempted retrenchment by those seeking to turn back the clock. This wouldn’t be so alarming if we had our heroes to fight for us once more, but today we have a generation that does not fully know or appreciate those who led the fight for equal access to public accommodations, desegregated schools and housing, and the free exercise of the franchise—the right to vote.

I am reminded of a passage of Scripture in Joshua 2:10: “After [Joshua’s] generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” We are living in that type of generation. A generation that does not acknowledge the God who brought us out of slavery, through the terrorism of Jim Crow, and into the White House. We have eaten the fruit of battles we didn’t fight and miracles we didn’t experience. So, we have concluded that we no longer need God or the Black Church. But it is the Black Church that has always been the social institution responsible for converting the most immoral in our communities, convening the segmented stakeholders of our diaspora, and calling upon the compassion and power of the God of our people.

Where We Go from Here

So, where do we go from here?

Some argue that the Black Community doesn’t need a leader. They say it is an outdated model that has reached the end of its lifecycle. Many concur, suggesting that other racial groups do not have such a structure. I respectfully dissent, noting they are grossly mistaken. It is sociologically impossible for a group to have no leader. While they may not be as visible as our leaders, we would be egregiously naïve to think that other groups have no social hierarchy.

The Scriptures are clear that the children of Israel required a leader in Moses to deliver them out of Egyptian bondage; they required leaders like Ehud and Deborah to liberate them from the oppression of Philistia, Moab, and Ammon; and they required kings, priests, and prophets to govern the political, religious, and moral life of the nation.

So, where do we go from here?

First, we must go back to the Lord. It was God who preserved our people as they crossed the Middle Passage into America; it was God who sustained them through the horrors and humiliation of chattel slavery; and it is God who remains committed to us if we, like the children of Israel, will remember Him, repent of our sins, and return to Him.

Second, we must go back to unity. Jesus wisely noted that a people divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25). Our unity has always been our strength. Unity does not mean uniformity, but it does mean that various groups are willing to work together toward a common goal for the common good. We are too fractured to have any meaningful impact. If we are to successfully repel the retrenchment underway, we must do so together. In the words of the ancient Greek storyteller Aesop, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

Lastly, we must go forward. We can’t stand still, and we certainly cannot allow ourselves to be taken backwards. There are still more battles to be won, more gains to be made, and more equity to be achieved. Another of our civil rights heroes, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, often mentioned the Latin phrase "excelsior," meaning "upward and onward." That’s where we must go: higher and forward.

Keep Hope Alive

The passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. has brought us to a poignant moment. We are entering a new phase of an ongoing civil war, and our generals are dying off. Now is the time for us to lay aside our pride and petty grievances and circle the wagons. The futures of our children and their children are at stake, and we cannot afford to leave them to fight the battles we should have. We go forward because going backwards is not an option. We go forward because we must keep hope alive!

Dr. Isaac Hayes is an Assistant Pastor at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois, and author of Men After God’s Heart: 10 Principles of Brotherly Love. He also has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Follow Dr. Hayes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube at @RevIsaacHayes.