{{short description|American singer and political commentator (born 1963)}} {{Infobox person | name = Santita Jackson | image = Santita Jackson by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Jackson in 2024 | birth_place = [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], U.S. | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|7|17}} | father = [[Jesse Jackson]] | mother = [[Jacqueline Jackson]] | relatives = [[Jesse Jackson Jr.]] (brother)<br>[[Jonathan Jackson (Illinois politician)|Jonathan Jackson]] (brother)<br>[[Yusef Jackson]] (brother) | alma_mater = [[Howard University]] | occupation = Singer }} '''Santita Jackson''' (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer and political commentator from [[Chicago, Illinois]]. As a singer, Jackson toured with [[Roberta Flack]] and performed the National Anthem at President [[Bill Clinton]]'s second inauguration. She has appeared on the [[Fox News Channel]] and is the host of a television show on [[The Word Network]].<ref name="foxnews1">{{cite web |title=Santita Jackson |url=http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/personalities/santita-jackson/bio/#s=h-l |website=foxnews.com |publisher=Fox News Network |accessdate=20 January 2013}}</ref> Santita attended high school with [[Michelle Obama]] and served as Obama's maid of honor at her 1992 wedding to [[Barack Obama]].
== Early life and education == Jackson was born in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], in 1963.<ref>Frady, Marshall. "The Long Circle Home." Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson. New York: Random House, 1996. pg.152</ref> She is the oldest daughter of [[Jacqueline Jackson|Jacqueline Lavinia Brown Jackson]] and civil rights leader Rev. [[Jesse Jackson]]. Jackson was raised in Chicago along with her siblings [[Jesse Jackson Jr.|Jesse Jr.]], [[Jonathan Jackson (activist)|Jonathan]], [[Yusef Jackson|Yusef]], and Jacqueline.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Elusive Jackie Jackson : Articulate and Charismatic, She Balances Keeping Her Identity and Living in His Shadow |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-05-18-vw-2904-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=10 July 2019 |date=18 May 1988}}</ref>
Jackson attended John J. Pershing Elementary School and [[Whitney M. Young Magnet High School]] in Chicago, where she was a [[National Merit Scholar]]. While interviewing for admission to [[Harvard University]], Jackson was criticized by two alumni for her father's political views. Though ultimately accepted to Harvard, she said of the school, "I didn't feel it was the proper environment after that interview."<ref name="Post">{{cite news|author=Myra MacPherson|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|title=The Power of the Children|date=22 July 1988|author-link = Myra MacPherson|id = {{ProQuest|139573619}}}}</ref> Jackson subsequently attended [[Howard University]] on a full merit scholarship. While at Howard University, Jackson became a member of [[Delta Sigma Theta]] sorority. Following her time at Howard, Jackson worked as an aide to Illinois congressman [[Gus Savage]].<ref name="Post" /><ref name="jj">{{cite web |last1=Eastman |first1=Dale |title=The Rise of Jesse Jackson Jr. and the First Family of Black America |url=https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-1996/The-Rise-of-Jesse-Jackson-Jr-and-the-First-Family-of-Black-America/ |website=Chicago magazine |accessdate=24 January 2013 |language=en}}</ref>
== Musical career == Shortly after college, Jackson moved to New York to pursue a career in music.<ref name="jj" /> She spent over five years touring as a backup singer for [[Roberta Flack]], and later performed with the [[Opera Ebony]] company.<ref>"Luncheon Speaker." The Buffalo News 10 Feb. 2000: NewsBank – Archives. Web. 3 Feb. 2013.</ref>
In 1996, Jackson was asked by the family of Secretary of Commerce [[Ron Brown]] to perform at his funeral alongside [[Wynton Marsalis]] and the Howard University Chorale.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Company |first1=Johnson Publishing |title=Jet |date=1996 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ujsDAAAAMBAJ |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ujsDAAAAMBAJ/page/n13 14] |quote=santita jackson. |accessdate=10 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The following year, Jackson performed the National Anthem at Bill Clinton's second presidential inauguration.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Clinton 1997 Inaugural Ceremony|url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/77158-1 |website=www.c-span.org |accessdate=10 July 2019 |language=en-us |date=20 January 1997}}</ref>
In 2009, Jackson released her first recording project, ''Put Your Arms Around the World'', a collaboration with songwriter [[Janice Kapp Perry]], vocalist [[Chris Willis]], and Utah Senator [[Orrin Hatch]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Put Your Arms Around the World |url=http://www.ldsmusicnow.com/album/342/Janice-Kapp-Perry/Put-Your-Arms-Around-the-World/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101043052/http://www.ldsmusicnow.com/album/342/Janice-Kapp-Perry/Put-Your-Arms-Around-the-World/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 January 2011 |website=ldsmusicnow.com |accessdate=10 July 2019}}</ref>
== Political commentary ==
=== Television and radio === In April 2012, Jackson began working as a political commentator on the Fox News Channel.<ref name="foxnews1" /> She also hosts her own television show on The Word Network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Programs: Santita Jackson |url=http://www.thewordnetwork.org/programs/P8 |publisher=The Word Network |accessdate=3 February 2013}}</ref> Earlier, Jackson produced her father's show "Upfront with Jesse Jackson" on The Word Network.<ref name="foxnews1" />
Jackson is the writer, co-host, and executive producer of the nationally syndicated radio show "Keep Hope Alive with Rev. Jesse Jackson."<ref name="foxnews1" /> She previously hosted ''The Santita Jackson Show'' on Chicago's [[WVON]] 1690 AM.<ref>"The Santita Jackson Show." WVON 1690 AM – The Talk of Chicago. Midway Broadcasting Company, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. {{cite web |url=http://wvon.com/personalities/santita-jackson-show.html |title=Santita Jackson show |accessdate=2013-02-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120052414/http://wvon.com/personalities/santita-jackson-show.html |archivedate=2013-01-20 }}</ref>
=== Other media === Jackson is a founding contributor at [[TheGrio]], an [[MSNBC]] website dedicated to African American news and opinion.<ref name="foxnews1" /><ref>{{cite web |title=The truth about black fathers |url=http://thegrio.com/2009/06/20/the-truth-about-black-fathers/ |website=theGrio |accessdate=10 July 2019 |date=20 June 2009}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://santitajackson.wordpress.com/ Personal Website] * {{C-SPAN|43027}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Santita}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Family of Jesse Jackson|Santita]] [[Category:Musicians from Greensboro, North Carolina]] [[Category:Howard University alumni]] [[Category:MS NOW people]] [[Category:20th-century African-American women singers]] [[Category:20th-century American women singers]] [[Category:20th-century American singers]] [[Category:American political commentators]]