1. Topic: Jesse Jackson as a Civil Rights Activist
2. Introduction
Jesse Jackson is a politician, Baptist Church minister and a civil rights leader in America.
He was born in 1941, and he learned about segregation when he was young.
Jackson and his mother would sit at the rear of the bus, and their elementary school did not have some amenities which the town’s elementary school for whites had.
3. His Civil Rights Activities
He started his civil rights activities when he was an undergraduate.
He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965.
During the 1980s Jackson became the national spokesman for African-Americans.
4. His Relevance as an advocate for black self-help
In 1971 he founded Operation PUSH, People United to Save Humanity.
He used this organization to support for black self-help which also served as his political pulpit.
He also founded the National Rainbow Coalition; the mission was to fight for equal rights for African-Americans, homosexuals, and women.
5. His Activities outside America
He traveled to the world in the 1970s to spotlight and mediate problems and disputes.
In South Africa, he spoke against the apartheid policies
In the Middle East, he gave his support during the creation of a Palestinian state.
He was behind the democratic efforts in Haiti, a small island nation.
He played a significant role in the release of prisoners and hostages in Syria, Cuba, Iraq, Kuwait and Kosovo.
6. His importance today
He is still influential in civil rights activities and in 2000 President Clinton awarded him Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He is also pushing for African-American Rights and is a figure speaker in the Democratic conventions.
7. Conclusion
Jesse Jackson is a relevant African-American civil rights activist whose impact in advocating for human rights is evident.
References
Editors, B. (2014, July 7). Jesse Jackson Biography. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from The Biography.com website: http://www.biography.com/people/jesse-jackson-9351181
Staff, H. (2009). Jesse Jackson. Retrieved January 30, 2017, from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/jesse-jackson
