Jesse Jackson coming to CMU

[UrbScotty]

http://www.news.cmich.edu/news/index.asp?id=1720

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a leading national civil rights and political figure, will visit Central Michigan University Jan. 16 as part of its weeklong commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.

Jackson, president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, will provide a keynote speech at 7 p.m. in Rose Arena. Admission is free and open to the public.

Jackson began his activism as a student leader in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and eventually became King's assistant. Jackson went on to direct Operation Breadbasket and founded People United to Save Humanity in 1971.

He was an early advocate of national health care, a war on drugs and the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa. In 1984 and 1988, he ran as a Democrat for the presidency, winning 10 million votes combined, and is credited for inspiring millions of new voters to register and join the political process. He often has served as an international diplomat, sometimes negotiating the release of U.S. military personnel held captive overseas.