CNN’s Abby Phillip in Conversation

Join CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip in conversation with bestselling writer and cultural critic Luvvie Ajayi Jones for a powerful look at Jesse Jackson’s legacy and the movement that began in Chicago.

Phillip tells the story of Jesse Jackson’s groundbreaking presidential campaigns of the 1980s and how they reshaped Black political power in America.

From his early work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to his leadership of Operation Breadbasket in Chicago, Jackson built an unlikely coalition that energized working-class voters, young people, and Black communities across the country. His campaigns in 1984 and 1988 didn’t just break barriers, they laid the foundation for every major Democratic victory since.

In this special Chicago event, Phillip sits down with Luvvie Ajayi Jones for an intimate conversation about Jackson’s roots, his rise, and his enduring influence on American politics.

Abby Phillip will sign copies of A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power following the event.