| Legendary Jackson builds storm of inspiration in Brixton. |
| Sunday, 10 June 2007 |
David Lammy, yesterday joined the highly respected civil rights campaigner and Baptist minister Rev. Jesse Jackson as he delivered a powerful speech on economic greatness and unity for the future Black leaders in this country.
Speaking at Lambeth Town Hall in the heart of Brixton on Saturday, Rev. Jackson spoke of how important it was that Black communities come together to be able to have a vision for the future.
Rev. Jackson who commanded the opening of his speech with the words “I am Somebody”, which was echoed my members in the audience, spoke out about the need to have high aspirations and goals. He asked the audience, “Do you want to be a giant or a grasshopper?”
During his speech Rev. Jackson exclusively revealed that he will be taking part in a nationwide tour this August to encourage political participation from Black communities and launch Equanomics, a project designed to ensure race equality within big businesses.
He added: “We have the power in this country [UK] to arouse the Black vote from Liverpool to Birmingham to go from 15 BME MP seats to 100 - We can determine the next MP.”
“We can determine the next 100 seats in Parliament, therefore we have power,” said Rev. Jackson.
Guests at the event included grassroots organisations, business professionals, councillors, MPs, and the general public who were all invited to hear him inspire old and new generations.
The event, organised by OBV, included key speakers David Lammy MP, barrister Peter Herbert, OBV chair Lee Jasper, The 1990 Trusts trustee Karen Chouhan, Rev. Nims Obunge of the Peace Alliance and Dawn Butler MP.
Culture Minister David Lammy, who flew back from a ministerial visit to Venice, especially for the event, honoured Rev. Jackson for lifting the hearts of Black communities and giving them pride about what it is to be Black.
Mr Lammy added that “Black communities need to get out to vote and get their voices heard” concluding that the community needs to focus on education, employment for young people, a culture of aspiration and a renewal of parenting.
Today Rev. Jackson continues to fight for social change and justice through the non-profit organisation the Rainbow Push Coalition, which he founded in 1984. One of the main aims of the organisation is promoting economic empowerment of Black communities.
At the event Karen Chouhan, who will drive the Equanomics project in the UK, expressed her thanks to Rev. Jackson for the inspiration he has given to organisations like OBV and The 1990 Trust. Ms Chouhan, trustee of the trust, continued: “[In the US] The Wall Street Project is focusing in on economic empowerment of Black communities in the US and that must be our focus here in the UK”.
Plans are now set underway for Rev. Jesse Jackson’s tour in the UK this August. Rev. Jackson, who is renowned for his activism in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s, also made history becoming the first Black man in the Democratic presidential nominations in 1984 and 1988.
Please click here to visit the Operation Black Vote website.
Please click here to see more pictures of the event.
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