A public health leader reflects on Rev. Jesse L. Jackson’s early fight for universal healthcare.
Magazine, The Immigrant Experience, A Tribute By Kilian Songwe
Editor’s Note:
When giants leave us, the headlines list their titles. But those of us shaped by the movements they built know that legacy lives elsewhere — in the people they mentored, in the doors they pushed open, and in the quiet battles they refused to abandon.
For immigrant families, healthcare has never been theoretical. It is the difference between a parent seeking treatment or staying silent. Between stability and spiraling debt. Between dignity and despair. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson understood that long before healthcare reform became law. He saw public health as civil rights work.
In this tribute, Kilian Songwe writes not from a distance, but from proximity—from the rooms where policy and moral courage met. His reflection reminds us that the struggle for health equity is woven into the immigrant story and that the work continues in every generation willing to carry it forward.
“My memories of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson come from my time working at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Washington, D.C. office as a young public health professional. The timing could not have been more significant. President Bill Clinton had just taken office on January 20, 1993, and one of the major items on his agenda was healthcare reform—the Health Security Act, often referred to as “Hillarycare.”
Coincidence or not, healthcare had also been a central pillar of Rev. Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign.
In 1993, Rev. Jesse Jackson brought together a formidable team of Black health professionals from across the United States in support of the Clinton Health Plan. I found myself learning from the master himself how politics and healthcare intersect—and how to walk the halls and corridors of power in Washington, D.C., from H Street to Capitol Hill, advocating for something bigger than race, gender, or creed.
Healthcare had become a central part of the Democratic Party agenda and was adopted as a priority by President Clinton. A task force was created to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at providing universal healthcare for all Americans.
Although the Clinton health reform effort did not ultimately pass, the vision did not disappear. It was not until 2010—seventeen years later—with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that we saw a significant expansion of health coverage. The ACA led to record low uninsured rates, increased access to health insurance, lower costs for many families, and protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Yet long before the ACA became law, Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson had been championing healthcare as a civil and moral issue.
Among his key initiatives:
- National Health Program (1988): He promoted a universal, federally funded, comprehensive health plan to guarantee care for all Americans.
- Health Equity Advocacy: He consistently framed healthcare as a moral issue, focusing on racial disparities in access and outcomes.
- Support for Safety Nets: He advocated for programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) as essential components of public health.
- Ongoing Healthcare Reform: He continued to support strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expanding access to care for all.
Rev. Jackson understood that healthcare was not separate from the broader civil rights struggle. Access to care, racial justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity were interconnected.
A true humanitarian and world leader, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson brought sustained attention to racial discrimination, gender inequality, social justice, healthcare access, and peace-building. His leadership shaped not only national conversations but also the lives of young professionals like myself who had the privilege of observing and learning from him.
I pray history will remember him well and that his example will inspire generations to come.
Fare thee well.”
About the Author
Kilian Songwe is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Global Group of Companies, which includes the Global Healthcare Public Foundation (AGHPF), Alooh Global Quality Consultants (AGQC), and Quality Consultants Human Resource Management (QCHRM). He is a lead consultant on governance, public health programs, and management system strengthening in diagnostic medicine.
Kilian recently supported the Government of South Sudan in establishing the Directorate of Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DDLS) as the regulatory and normative arm within the Ministry of Health. He also led the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory of Burkina Faso to achieve accreditation to ISO 15189:2022. He serves as a visiting lecturer at the University of British Columbia, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory Quality Management Program.
He is trained in Medical Laboratory Technology with specialization in Transfusion Medicine and holds Master’s degrees in Public Health (MPH) and Science of Business Administration (MSBA).
Outside of his professional work, Kilian enjoys listening to live music and reading self-development literature.
Connect with Kilian Songwe on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Profile
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