Rev Jackson: Registered 100’s to vote, inspired 1000’s

The visit last week to the UK by Rev Jesse Jackson to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech will be seen as a turning point in British race relations, and in particularly British politics. Like his mentor and friend Dr Martin Luther King, Rev Jackson’s central message was democracies, such as the USA and the UK undermine their own values and ideals by negating opportunity and equality on the basis of skin colour and religion. Jackson spoke this week about the true meaning of King’s dream speech and the context which was, a great nation like the USA should fulfil its promise that all men and women will be treated equally under the law. ‘I have a dream that the US will uphold that promise’ was King’s central theme, Jackson told audiences all week.

But Jackson also spoke about the need to look less in the rear view mirror, which was his analogy for an historical perspective and more through the windscreen which represents the future.

The power for Black people in this country to decide 168 marginal seats in the next general election gives you unprecedented power,"

he informed BME audiences up and down the country.

Power today transforms policy for tomorrow. Policies around education, health, jobs, housing."

At every event he registered hundreds of young people to vote . Many of his closing speeches ended the same:

Without political power you have Stop and Search. In the US it’s Stop and frisk, but with power you demand that your Government engages in ‘Stop and Care, Stop and educate, Stop and inspire."

Audiences rose to their feet and applauded.

For me as Director of Operation Black Vote, learning from the past to build for a better future, I was struck by the sheer audacity by what these men and women where trying to do at such a young age. King had led the Montgomery bus boycott in his twenties. He was assassinated at the age of 38. Jackson was 21 when he became a key activist for the Civil Rights movement. These activists were subject to snarling police dogs, water cannons, fire bombs, lynching and assassination, but the movement never faulted.

So what’s our excuse for not changing our world? There’s none, absolutely none. Let’s celebrate King’s dream, by getting active. Email OBV about how you can help deliver race equality: info@obv.org.uk.

Simon Woolley