“I’m so privileged to be able to say that I was on tour with the Reverend Jesse Jackson to several cities with large Black populations rallying to make Dr. Martin  Luther King’s birthday a national holiday. I usually opened the rally with my version of ‘Lift Every  Voice And Sing’- ending with the long high note. He said it was comparable to his now legendary slogan, Keep Hope Alive. In fact, Rev Jesse was the narrator on my recording of ‘Lift Every Voice’, saying ‘open up our hearts and let us sing” at the beginning of the song.  He was an outspoken humanitarian, especially for marginalized communities. I hope that we all do our part in carrying on his legacy in keeping hope alive.” Melba Moore

February 17th, 2026

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