Page 6, Portland Observer, February 26, 1986
Cunt from •*»»« 5
W jlk e r iv important today lor » number ol reasons Ik in g a scholai. ac livid , and
writer he is able to explain the dynamics, accomplivhnx-ntv. and weaknesses ol the
black liberation struggle through the written word It is not olten that a dynamic
M lisist like Ur Walker is able Io exercise the discipline required to write and
publish hooks Hut Walker does it again and again Thus he provides a valuable
historical record ol the Mack freedom struggle tor unbom generations To gain this
knowledge they can take a short walk to the library A dditionally, Ur Walker is
involved in current movement* lor social justice He has heen directly involved in
the struggle against rac ial apartheid in South Africa tong betöre it become fashion
able Back in the spring o f I97K Walker was the key figure in organizing the
International Freedom Day Io dramatize the plight o f victims ot apartheid in South
Africa Thirty cities across the country participated in this event
Because o f his administrative skills, his central position in the black church
community, ami his crucial experience* gained as a top assistant to Ur King.
Walker is sought out for assistance and ads ice by lop leaders today Ur Walker has
played a very important role in Jesse Jackson's leadership and bid tor the democra
tic presidential nomination Walker supported Jackson in the early stage ol his
presidential bid while many other black leaders were either hesitant or directly
opposed Importantly, in I9X t Ur Walker became a Special Assistant to Jesse
Jackson and played a crucial role in Jackson's successful cl tori to convince the
Syrians to release the captured Lt Robert Goodman Jackson convinced W alker to
accompany him to Syria and to o fficia lly serve as his Chief ol Protocol on this
historic mission In this capacity Walker was responsible tor coordinating ac
tivities with the Secret Service, arranging meetings with lop Syrian officials,
coordinating the activities o f the Jackson delegation, and solving thorny problems
as they arose Walker’ s role in Damascus was to assist Jackson in securing
Goodman's release by keeping the process moving along in an organized and
fruitful manner Walker accomplished this delicate leal splendidly by draw ing on
his national and international experiences
Walker has made another invaluable contribution by writing a superb b wrk on
Goodman’ s release titled Hioul in Dunum in One gets the leeling that Walker is
destined to make even more historic contributions lor human freedom It is the
great behind the scene organizers such as Ur W alker that make great liberation
movements possible
Jesse I.oiiis Jackson
The Reverend Jesse Loui* Jackson is one of the Premier leaders in the world
today He eloquently orates on behalf of the poor, the uneducated, the hungry and
the oppressed In Reverend Jackton'x view the oppressed arc the ones whose boat»
are stuck at the bottom o f an affluent and uncaring soewty In addition to leading
the oppressed, Jac kson challenges them not to passively accept their position but to
recognize that they are somebody and that they are precious in God s sight, and
that they can change the situation The damned and dispossessed recognize
Jackson as their authentic champion and leader National < »pinion [rolls continue to
reveal that blac k America considers Jackson as its leader by tar 1 arge numbers ot
w hues are also attracted to Reverend Jackson although they. o f course, do not view
him as their leader Rather the (iallup poll reveals that Reverend Jackson is one ot
the ten most admired men by Americans Who then is Jesse Jackson ’ W here did he
come from and where is he treaded ’
Reverend Jackson is o f the generation that immediately followed Ur King's
generation Jackson was horn October H. 1941 in Greenville. South Carolina
where he attended high school and excelled as an athlete Having graduated.
Jackson accepted a football scholarship to attend the Black Agricultural and
Technical College (A & T ) in Greensboro, North Carolina Jackson's decision to
attend A & T College reveals a great deal about his personality He actually began
his college career at the University ol Illinois where he had also received a football
scholarship In high school Jackson had been the leader ol the team bee ausc he w as
its star quarterback He fully expected to play this role us quarterback ot the
University o f Illinois football team However the predominantly white University
had different plans Jackson was told he could become a running back lor the
lighting lllin i It was a bitter message Jackson knew tire quarterback position was
being reserved for whiles only Rather than compromise his dignity and talent
Jac kson transferred to A & T where he could excel and be himscll I xccl Ire did At
A & T Jackson became an honor student, a football star and president ol the student
body Throughout his academic career Jackson remained near the to p o l his classes
because he studied long houu^otlid cherished a first tale education
As fur as lire c ivil rights movement is concerned A & I is tanrous because the
I960 student sit in movement uatted there By 1963 Jesse Jackson had become tin-
leader o f the movement at A & T Indeed, he led daily student sit-ins and protest
inarches which eventually desegregated Greensboro’s theaters and restaurants
But Jackson's resistance to white racism began before 1963 His biographer,
Barbara Reynolds points out that Jackson at age 12. secretly spit in (tic food of
whites while he worked at a segregated hotel in South Carolina While still in high
school Jackson and a friend "protested the while-only restrooms and drinking
fountains and attempted to organize the employers in protest against segregation,
low wages, and unsafe working c o n d itio n s W hen protest burst forth in the early
1960s al A& I Jackson was prepared
By 1966 Jesse Jackson came to the attention of Dr Martin Luther King That
year Jackson, at the request o f King, became head o f the Chicago branch of King's
Operation Breadbasket Because ot successful boycotts launched by Jackson and
others against racist Chicago merchants. King appointed Jackson as National
Director o f Operation Breadbasket In 1971 Jackson formed his own organization
called People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) After repeated successes as head
o f PUSH Jackson went on to electrify block America and startle white America in
19X1 when he actively and seriously sought the Democratic Nomination for
President ol the United States As a result of his leadership and his bold attempt for
the Presidency, Jackson is now the most powerful and influential black leader in
the nation and one of the most visible leaders in the world today
Jesse Jackson has reached this coveted plateau because he is a creative political
mavenck Like King he is able to attract brilliant and dedicated individuals into his
leadership orbit Like King he can see farther than most because he stands on the
shoulders o f these giants But far more important, like all great leaders —
Frederick Douglass, A Philip Randolph. Marcus Garvey and Martin King
Jesse is backed and propelled by the black masses because he speaks their language
and shares in their pain and brilliantly articulates their aspirations Most o f all
Jackson dares lo accomplish goals most contemporary black leaders have not even
imagined in then wildest dreams In this sense Jackson is a true leader because
often the masses wish lo move faster than their leaders So when Jesse risks it all so
that we can soar to new heights, tlx- masses are there exclaiming "ru n Jesse run,”
“ win Jesse win
Clearly Jackson's giouiidbieakiug leadership stems from his unique creative
abilities lo break loose from old assumptions and his commitment to see a task
through When Jackson fust arrived in Chicago in the late |96Os the city was
considered by blacks and whites to be Richaid Daley ’ s political empire lor as long
as he lived Jackson disagreed Through his work and weekly mass meetings he
laid the foundation for an independent political movement In 1971 he planted the
idea that a black person could he mayor ol Chic ago by running for that office and
thus paving the way lor Harold Washington’ s historic victory In 1971 Jackson
threatened to run lor president ol the I mted Slates Thus his candidacy in 19X4
was the fulfillment ot earlier insight and work During the presidential campaign
Jackson look his work seriously He knew that like Jackie Robinson he was batting
tor the race Jackson never lost a presidential debate for any reason because he
made sure that ire had done his homework Whtle running for president. Jackson
conceived and carried through the idea ot making a tup to Damascus. Syria and
returning with Lt Robert Goodman Only Jackson could have succeeded in this
international diplomacy because he was well known and highly respected in the
Middle I asl Jackson is a trailblazer and [race setter
Jesse Jackson's position as the major leader ot block America carries enormous
responsibilities lire mayor problem to be solved in black America is economic
oppression Blackseam about SXG ot the income that whitesearn Therefore, the
current economic position ol blacks as compared to whiles is worse todav than it
was twenty years ago Gan the c iv il rights movement and black leadership solve
this problem which Jackson refers to as the problem ol silver rights'* Ur King and
the c iv il lights movement were successlul hi overthrow mg Jim Crow and seizing
the vote lot southern blacks by creatively devising appropriate tactics and
slialegies that galvanized the energies ol the masses I he crucial lest tor Jackson
(and others) is whether he is able to cry stall ze the economic issue in cleat cut terms
so that the masses aie able to see through die maze and conlronl the issues head on
and in a collective mannei
Jackson is already making soiik * headway on the economic Iront by insisting
upon a relationship between corporate America and the black community that is
based on reciprocity and parity I his approach is promising because numerous
major corporations have signed lair trade agréments w itli Pl M l Nevertheless,
until the masses are directly involved in determining their economic future, the
situ.ilion w ill not change drastic alls I hen. loo, Jackson is investing a gieal deal ol
energy in et,oils aimed at getting Mac ks elected into political offices I his et toit ir,
crucial ill black political development but even it n is s u m c liil. it w ill not solve
the proMcrn o f economic oppression The black nrassc. rvinan, ,ll ho,,-««1 uudc
(educated. under led and in pool health even m those v itk with black may,«
Jackson's creativity. charisma, and vision must he linked with a mass struggle it
black America ia to gain economic equality and independence I he future, though
challenging, is not dim because Jackson has proven that breakthroughs are possi
Me
Both Ur W alker and Reverend Jackson are shining lights in tire historic struggle
for racial justice and human freedom They demonstrate that struggle, dedication
hard work, creativity, and hope is the cornerstone to brighter tomorrows The
movement continues
Philadelphia Racial
Prejudice Deplored
The U S Commission on C ivil Rights on November 27 deplored the ti.rr.rss
ment and acts o f vandalism perpetrated against a bloc k family and an inteiiac lal
couple who moved into a predominantly white Philadelphia neighborhcard
Such racial harassment still remain» all too common, said the commission
"T h is latest Philadelphia story highlights the urgency ol a strong tan housing
law and all out enforcement of our present civil rights la w s." Commission
Chairman Clarence M Pendleton Jr said
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Until'justice
is blind to color,
until education
is unaware of race,
until opportunity
is unconcerned
with the color
ofmen s skins,
em ancipation
"'The dream is one of equality of opportunity, of
privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a
land where man will not take necessities from the
many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land
where men do not agree that the color of a man's skin
determines the content of his character; a dream of a
place where all our gifts and resources are held not for
ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the
rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every
man will respect the dignity and worth of all human
personality, and men will dare to live together as
brothers___"
—M arlin Luther King, Jr., I960
will be
a proclamation
but not a fact.
— I y n d o il It.J o ltiiM rii
I l.S. Bank is p ro u d to jo in th e
m e m b e rs o t th e e o m n u m ity to Salute
B lack H is to ry M o n th
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M e m h r * .4 » h r I
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IE N O W S
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