My favorite Jesse Jackson memory:

During the Carter administration my boss at morning journalism powerhouse The Atlanta Constitution was often called to Washington by his longtime friend President Carter. Such times I inherited the editor’s schedule. 

One such time Jesse Jackson was due in Atlanta. We had a receptionist, Trula Wilson, who happened to be from the South Side of Chicago like Jackson. 

Trula yelled out “It’s Jesse Jackson’s office his secretary wants to know how he is getting here from the airport.”

Hal was a riot and in usual fashion yelled from his office “Tell him to take a cab like us white folks.”

My office was next to his and I laughed then realized Trula being new probably didn’t know Hal was joking. I ran down the hall to save her but got there too late. 

I wish I could have seen the look on the face of the woman on the South Side of Chicago when she got the message from the woman from the South Side in our Atlanta office. 

The office went home except for me who waited for Jackson. It was rainy but he wanted to walk. As we did people would yell, “Hey Jesse.” 

Finally, he said, “There’s a party at the Americana,” want to go?” Anything to get out of the rain. 

The party was the who’s who of Black Atlanta. They knew me but didn’t expect me there — as Jesse Jackson’s date. Jackson stayed by my side.

At last the door across the room opened and in walked baseball legend Hank Aaron. 

“There’s Hammerin’ Hank” I said to Jackson. 

“Do you know him?” Jackson asked.

“No.”

“We’ll fix that now.” We walked across the room and Jackson introduced me as “My friend Bob Ingle.”

Aaron said he read me every day in The Constitution.”

We chatted and, since I was by the door, said good night and walked into a rainy, foggy Atlanta having been Jesse Jackson’s date and met a satisfied reader, Hank Aaron. 

Years later there was an AIDS rally at the California Statehouse. Of all the Sacramento speakers, Jackson was the only one who shook hands with every person, most of whom were in wheelchairs. I smiled and was proud to have walked the streets with that man.