Duration - 2:36

At a time when the U.S. government’s economic war on Cuba is intensifying, U.S. lawmakers Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) traveled to Havana in early April.

At the Martin Luther King Center, Jackson paid tribute to his father, Jesse Jackson, recalling his historic 1984 visit to the island, when he met with Fidel Castro and helped usher in a rare moment of dialogue between Cuba and the African American community.

Jackson spoke of a generation of people in the United States shaped by the country’s continuous wars, and called for a different path forward — one rooted in dialogue, mutual respect, and human connection.

“It’s my prayer that the historical and political differences that divide us would not be used to deny our children the kind of future they deserve,” said Jackson.