Keep Hope Alive
The main message from Rev. Jesse Jackson to the black and minority ethnic communities of Liverpool during his high-profile visit in August 2007 was "Let's keep hope alive by increasing our economic activity!" Rev Jackson is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past forty years he has played a pivotal role in hundreds of movements for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.
Rev Jackson's visit was part of his 2007 UK tour, entitled 'The Economics of Colour' (EOC) which included nine cities across the country. The Liverpool leg was organised by Alan Gayle, Liverpool 8 Law Centre and Michelle Charters, Chair of Liverpool Black History Month Group. Diverse Liverpool's editor Garth Dallas coordinated the extensive media and press coverage.
The EOC Tour aims to emphasise the significance of the need to broaden the human and civil rights debate to encapsulate economic equality. The absence of economic inclusion and prosperity for Africans in Diaspora, Asians and other minority communities is effectively an aberration on their human rights and takes away part of their dignity. Two hundred years on from the abolition of the Slave Trade Act, strategies and focus of the human rights movement need to broaden to deliver economic benefits to create a better balance in society for a more stable and equitable society.
Whilst in Liverpool Rev Jackson was treated to a VIP tour of the new international slavery museum, hosted by Director of National Museums, Liverpool, Dr. David Fleming and Dr Richard Benjamin. Rev Jackson was made an official patron of the museum.
He then moved on to the Philharmonic Hall where he delivered a keynote speech to specially invited guests. Other speakers included Tracey Gore, Director of Steve Biko Housing Association, Lee Jasper, Senior Adviser to the Mayor of London on Equalities and Policing and Karen Chouhan, Director of the Equanomics UK.
Salient elements of the message by Rev Jackson included the following:
- 400 years of enslaved labour was never paid for in contrast with the post war development of Europe - Marshall Plan, as well as the huge compensation paid out by Western governments to former slave owners, land-holding titles and other privileges on top of the billions of profits amassed on the backs of slaves who went through one of the most degrading treatments in human history; how this is often forgotten or intentionally obliterated
- The forgotten contribution of the ensuing profits from slave labour to the industrial revolution and therefore creation of western capital
- In consequence Africans and Africans in Diaspora are creditors and not debtors
- The responsibility of western governments to prevent the flow of guns and drugs as primary sources of stopping the violence including youth shootings
- The replacement of the flow of guns and drugs with investments, education and skills
- The need for ethnic minorities to audit their purchasing power and utilise these to undertake investments as viable vehicles of attaining economic equality.
- These vehicles to be utilised to push the frontiers of ethnic minority presence in all aspects of the national economies of Britain hitherto kept away from them, not only on the shop floors but to break through the glass ceiling into top management and the board rooms of corporate Britain.
- The need for massive electoral registration to effect adequate representation in the political structures of Britain so as to enable full participation in the strategic decision making process.
Rev Jackson, himself a 4th generation descendant of enslaved Africans, emphasized that slavery was fuelled by commerce, pseudo-science, law, politics, theology, all of which accompanied the expansion of British colonialism into the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and other areas of the world. The dehumanization of the slaves was an injury to the British soul. It sewed the un-Godly seed of race supremacy, one group as being inherently superior, the other inherently inferior, born to be less than, insufficient, inadequate and to be servile subjects.
"Our goal was not merely freedom", he said. "It was equality. Now we are free but not equal."
He continued, "Nelson Mandela chose reconciliation over retribution and revenge and that is what makes him a special person."
"If we don't think we can, we can't. We must think and feel beyond our circumstance."
He stressed the need for family values and responsibility. He called on parents to take their children to school. Rev. Jackson also shared his famed six-point pledge for parents to commit to their children's education:
1. Take - don't just send - your child to school.
2. Meet your child's teacher.
3. Exchange phone numbers with the teacher.
4. Pick up your child's report card in person each grading period.
5. Shut off the TV three hours a night for reading and homework.
6. Take your child to church, temple or synagogue once a week.
"If you don't have time to go to school, you'll have time to go to court," Rev. Jackson said.
"Back to school used to mean a countdown to graduation and a time of hope. Now it means shootings and violence."
Stressing the need for young people to start preparing for higher education, Rev. Jackson said they must "drop the gun and pick up a book." "Use your mind," Rev. Jackson urged. "Strong minds make a difference. Your mind is your weapon."
"Stop the Violence, Save the Children, Keep Hope Alive!"
