Rev. Jesse Jackson stepping down as head of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago, is stepping down from the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the influential Chicago-based civil rights organization he founded through its predecessor, Operation PUSH, more than 50 years ago.

After ceding day-to-day operations last year, Jackson, 81, is formally handing the reins to his successor, the Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a senior pastor of friendship at West Baptist Church in Dallas. Haynes’ appointment is expected to be announced this weekend at the annual Rainbow/PUSH convention, sources said Friday.

“I’m not retiring at all,” Jackson said Friday. “I want to focus a lot more on economic justice, peace in the world. I’m just pivoting to a different platform.”

According to Jackson, pivoting means he will spend the majority of this time teaching about “how to fight the nonviolent fight” when it comes to injustice.

“I want to teach more, all what I’ve learned, to other preachers: How do you fight the nonviolent fight, focus on affirmative action, loan debt, focus on pulling gun shops down,” Jackson said.

Jackson will offer his guidance in academic settings as well as in the field. He said he will double efforts to get reparations for the three remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. A lawsuit filed by survivors was recently dismissed by an Oklahoma judge.

Days after the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. announced he was stepping down as president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Vice President Kamala Harris came to the South Side Sunday to deliver a tribute to the longtime civil rights leader while warning that conservative “extremists” sought to undermine his legacy.

“In this moment, across our country, we are witnessing hard-fought, hard-won freedoms under full-on attack by extremist so-called leaders. And these extremists have an agenda, an agenda to divide us as a nation, an agenda to attack the importance of diversity and equity and inclusion and the unity of the Rainbow Coalition,” Harris said in a 20-minute speech.

“In this moment, let us all understand the history and the significance of Rev’s work and his approach. Just as Rev has shown, our ability to stand together is our strength,” she said, referring to Jackson by the colloquialism “Rev.” “Our ability to unify as many peoples is our strength. And the heroes of this moment will be those who bring us together in coalition.”

African American Author Releases New Children’s Book On Sexual Abuse

African American entertainment publicist and author, Adrienne Alexander has released her latest children’s book with a focus on sexual abuse, particularly as it relates to children.

The book, which is entitled, “Don’t Touch My No No Parts!”, harps on knowing the importance of introducing younger children to good touch, bad touch, and boundary conversations at a young age. The book is accompanied with jingle, animation and affirmations.

Alexander has worked in Public Relations since 2003, focusing on entertainment and sports industries while assisting clients, both large and small, in sectors as varied as non-profits and startup business owners to publishing and spiritual ministries.

She is versatile public relations consultant who loves what she does because of the satisfaction she gets from impacting lives in significant ways. Moreover, she goes above and beyond for her clients and will accept nothing less than greatness regarding their success.

Complete with individual and group safe touch affirmations and an original animated jingle, the book uses kid-friendly language and illustrations to help parents and concerned adults begin the conversation surrounding potential abuse and guide children to recognize and better understand possible abuse when it happens.

Commenting on the book, the author said: “This moment is surreal to me but at the same time. I know it’s bigger than me. Stories like the one in my hometown of MD, where more than 150 priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore were accused of sexually abusing more than 600 children. Or the situation with the Dali Lama, I want to be the voice for children I didn’t have when sexual abuse happened to me”.

According to her, in his statement for the March 2023 White House Proclamation, President Joe Biden says, “freedom from sexual assault is a basic human right. Yet, tens of millions of Americans, our family and friends, colleagues, neighbors, and classmates, carry the trauma of sexual assault with them”.

Meanwhile, research shows that children who disclose their abuse within one month are at a reduced risk for depression. In addition, if children can talk about their abuse, they are less likely to suffer from depression later in life.

 “Don’t Touch My No-No Parts!” was written to help children recognize and set healthy boundaries for their private area while helping guide the sometimes-awkward conversation surrounding abuse with parents, counselors, and educators.

Notably, because boys and girls are equally at risk of sexual abuse, Don’t Tou was printed from both the female and male perspectives and will be available in both English and Spanish versions.

The book is currently available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon, with additional retailers being added. Be sure to check out the official “Don’t Touch My No No Parts!” jingle in English and in Spanish.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK HERE

Congressional Black Caucus Issues Statement on Recent Colored People Comment by Rep. Eli Crane

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement in response to Rep. Eli Crane referring to Black service members as “colored people” on the House floor:

“Rep. Eli Crane’s comment was unprofessional, insensitive and unbecoming of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. It smacks of vestiges of racism, proving that in 2023, we do not live in the color-blind society that Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas claimed in their majority decision striking down affirmative action.

“Rep. Crane should apologize to Rep. Joyce Beatty, but more importantly, to the servicemen and servicewomen who defend our country with their lives. It may also be prudent for Rep. Crane to contact the diversity office within the House of Representatives, which has valuable resources for Members and staff who wish to learn more about the history of the word.”

Please donate to help Black Students finish college

George Cook is a former board of education member and councilman from Hillside NJ. He is also a trustee on the Union County College Foundation which helps students to attend and finish school by GIVING them money to finish school. These funds do not have to be REPAID.

One of the programs that The UCCF funds is the Close The Gap Fund which Mr. Cook is very proud of has quintupled the graduation rate of Black students at Union College (formerly Union County College) since its inception eight years ago. To date the fund has raised over $400,000 to help Black students.

Many of the students that benefit from Close The Gap have the intelligence, character, and work ethic to finish scool but lack the financial resources to do so. The Close The Gap Fund are used for books, laptops, transportation, meals, and even to pay for that last class a student may need to graduate.

George Cook has personally raised over $10,000 for The Close The Gap Fund as is holding his annual Facebook fundraiser to raise more for these desrving students. He stressed the importance of education and believes that is is the great equalizer.

"If not us then who will help our children" says Cook when asked why he holds this annual fundraiser. "We have an obligation to give back and help this next generation of leaders. They are are future doctors, lawyers, politicians, teachers, etc."

Watch the video below to see how your donation would benefit the Black students at Union College. If you would like to give to the Close The Gap Fundraiser please click here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/491035723218723/

Donate to the Close The Gap Fundraiser please click here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/491035723218723/

Claude Cummings Jr. will be Communications Workers first African-American president

Veteran union leader Claude Cummings Jr., 71, won a runoff late on July 10 for the presidency of the Communications Workers, becoming the influential and progressive union’s first-ever African American in its top job and its first-ever Southerner.

Cummings is the union vice president who leads CWA’s District 6, headquartered in Austin, Texas, and was the longtime president of Houston-based Local 6222. He defeated Ed Mooney, the union vice president and leader of mid-Atlantic District 2-13.

Cummings succeeds current President Chris Shelton, who is retiring at the end of this convention, on July 13, in St. Louis.

The victory for Cummings keeps the leadership of the union in the hands of a telecom worker, and the candidate with the longest union experience—50 years—a point he emphasized in his campaign.