In 1983, a Black Navy pilot named Lt. Robert Goodman was shot down over Syria. He was captured by the dictator Hafez al-Assad.

President Reagan was stuck. The State Department said "No negotiations with terrorists." Goodman was left to rot in a cell.

The White House warned Jesse Jackson: If you go over there and fail, you will embarrass the country.

Jackson didn't ask for permission. He flew to Damascus as a private citizen with a coalition of ministers.

He sat down with a dictator and spoke a language the State Department couldn't: Moral Authority.

While the White House was still drafting memos, Jackson was walking out of Syria with the Lieutenant.

President Reaganwho had told him not to go had to stand on the White House lawn and welcome them back.

Rest in Power, Jesse Jackson.