READER'S EDITORIAL: THE REVEREND JESSE JACKSON

Reader’s Editorial: Recollections of the life and legacy of a Visionary, The Reverend Jesse Jackson.

As the former and retired Bookshelf Editor of the East County Magazine in San Diego, as well as a former member of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H. in Chicago, I am honored to share memories of this visionary, and to include some close and poignant meetings and involvement with this man.

Chicago, was and still is a city of political activism, that the Reverend Jesse Jackson was involved in, and I hope to share my involvement in that political and civil rights activism. Jesse Jackson came along at a time when the City of Chicago, as well as the world itself needed him. There is possibly no other person in life that has an aura or makeup as this man!

The Reverend Jesse Jackson and I have shared history with each other, especially in Chicago, as we both participated in “Freedom Ride II” in the 1980s, a political effort of more than 200 volunteers in a bus caravan down to Mississippi to get the first black to Congress since Reconstruction. Others in this campaign were Benjamin Hooks, the President of the NAACP, Congressman Gus Savage of Chicago, and Congressman John Conyers.

I actually found myself making phone calls down to Mississippi to various relatives of people there to secure housing for the volunteers, as there were quite a few people from Chicago with relatives there. During the course of making those calls to the various cities there such as Yazoo City, Indianola, Jackson, Cleveland and Grenada, I discovered that I had an aunt that lived in Grenada, and I ended up staying in her home.

There was a poignant reminder for me when I was handing out poll tickets, which was customary for those involved in Chicago politicking and campaigns. We would hand out these poll tickets with the suggested person(s) to vote for. I got a quick example of Mississippi hospitality, or lack thereof. As a white guy was approaching me I reached out to him to give him a poll ticket, and he said to me; “you can wipe your a_ _ _ “ with that! I was stunned, and all I could do was laugh! So much for Mississippi hospitality!

Another poignant moment of recollection of the time that I spent with Reverend Jackson happened at my church in Chicago, The Apostolic Church of God in the 1990s, where Bishop Arthur M. Brazier was the Pastor, and the Reverend was the keynote speaker on Mother’s Day! I was proud to be a member of this Church where I was baptized, as were two of my children, Damien and Brandy!

Also, as I was a member of The Apostolic Church of God Prison Ministry, going out to Cook County Jail to minister and give hope and encouragement to the inmates there, Reverend Jackson would also do the same, as the President of Operation P.U.S.H. I would later become the President of the Bethel A.M.E. Church in San Diego, going out to Donavan Prison to minister to inmates there.

Of course, Reverend Jackson and I were heavily involved in voter registration and political activism at the same time in Chicago! Through both of our collective efforts we helped Harold Washington in becoming the first black mayor of Chicago, which would pave the way for Barack Obama to be the first Black President. As during this historic period in time, and as I was the 1^st Vice-President of the Chicago Chapter of Blacks in Government, an organization of black federal government employees, I had setup in the lobbies of the two federal buildings in downtown Chicago tables to register people to vote.

In a homage to another civil rights leader in Chicago, the Reverend Jackson singled out Conrad Worrill, the President and founder of the National Black United Front (NBUF) in Chicago, for being instrumental in Harold Washington becoming the first black Mayor of Chicago. Incidentally, I was also a member of NBUF, as also being a member of P.U.S.H. and Blacks in Government during this exciting and vibrant time of political and social activism in Chicago. It was truly an exciting time to be alive and active in Chicago!

During this same period of time in political activism in Chicago, I also volunteered for the campaign of then Alderman Danny Davis for Congressman, which he won and still holds that office!

As the Reverend Jackson was heavily involved in black political and economic empowerment, I have another recollection that stands out for me. I recall making an appointment with him at his Operation P.U.S.H. headquarters on the Southside of Chicago to discuss an issue of concern for black wireless communications employees in the city, such as AT&T and Cingular Wireless, as I was one of the disenfranchised employees at the time.

As Reverend Jackson had used his leverage and political stature and standing to help his sons, as well as his half-brother Noah Robinson to gain business interests with Anheuser Busch and Burger King, the thought was that he could help address our issues and concerns.

The Reverend Jackson seemed to have been all over the place, lending his stature and efforts to those in need. I recall another particular instance of a gathering of political leaders on the Westside of Chicago at the home of a friend of mine, and lo and behold in walked Jesse Jackson!

Of course, there was the much celebrated case of the Reverend Jesse Jackson basking in the celebrity of international travel of having the controversial meeting with Yassar Arafat, the then leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. And then, in 1979 when he would travel to Syria to free U.S. pilot Robert Goodman. One might say that Jesse Jackson was a man for all seasons, culminating with President Bill Clinton bestowing on him the Congressional Medal of Freedom! I can’t think of anyone more deserving!

There is so much more to say about this global icon, but it is probably best to say it through others. Just yesterday, in my beloved Chicago a celebration of the memory of the Reverend Jesse Jackson was made by three former Presidents, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton.

People will look back on the history of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and marvel at all he accomplished and did for humanity!

Dennis Moore was the former Book Review Editor for the East County Magazine in San Diego, as well as the President of the Bethel A.M.E. Prison Ministry in San Diego. Of his more than 400 book reviews that he made, two of which contributed towards the authors winging the NAACP Image Award in Literature, Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow”, and Gregory Reed’s “Obama Talks Back”. Mr. Moore can be contacted at contractsagency@gmail.com or you can reach him on Twitter.