JESSE JACKSON 1941 CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND MINISTER JACKSON JESSE 1941 ELECTIONS CIVIL RIGHTS/EQUALITY HUMAN RIGHTS AFRICAN AMERICANS ELECTIONS AND POLITICS GLOBAL RELATIONS JESSE JACKSON WAS BORN IN GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY AND CHICAGO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN 1968 HE WAS ORDAINED A BAPTIST MINISTER AND BECAME ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH IN CHICAGO JACKSON WAS ACTIVE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND WORKED WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING JR KING CHOSE JACKSON TO HEAD OPERATION BREADBASKET A PROGRAM TO EXPAND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IN 1971 JACKSON FOUNDED OPERATION PUSH PEOPLE UNITED TO SAVE HUMANITY TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS JACKSON TRAVELED TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING AMONG VARIOUS RACIAL AND ETHNIC GROUPS IN 1979 IN 1984 JACKSON HELPED SECURE THE RELEASE OF AN AMERICAN PILOT BEING HELD PRISONER IN SYRIA LATER JACKSON FORMED THE RAINBOW COALITION A NATIONAL SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION THE RAINBOW COALITION MERGED WITH OPERATION PUSH IN SEPTEMBER 1996 IN 1984 AND 1988 JACKSON BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO GAIN SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT IN HIS EFFORT TO GAIN THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT WIN THE NOMINATION IN 1990 HE WAS ELECTED TO THE POST OF U.S SENATOR FROM THE DISTRICT COLUMBIA A POSITION CREATED TO LOBBY FOR STATEHOOD FOR THE DISTRICT IN OCTOBER 1997 JACKSON WAS APPOINTED AS A SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA JACKSON IS THE AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART 1987 AND KEEP HOPE ALIVE 1988 AND CO AUTHOR OF LEGAL LYNCHING RACISM INJUSTICE AND THE DEATH PENALTY 1996
