Altered State
Rev. Jesse Jackson on Arizona and Immigration
2010-04-28
By EbonyJet.com Staff
The Joint Center for Political and Economic honored Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition with the 2010 Louis E. Martin Great American Award at its 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner in Washington, DC.
Jackson was recognized for more than a half-century of activism and leadership in the cause of human and civil rights and non-violent social change,
According to Joint Center CEo Ralph Everett, “Through his own example and especially his historic runs for the Presidency, Reverend Jackson perhaps did more than anyone else in our era to enlarge civic engagement and broaden public confidence in our system.“He inspired and energized millions to greater involvement in their communities, in the political process and in determining their own futures. At the same time, he launched a national conversation on the possibility a person of color could become President of the United States of America.”
In keeping with the moment, Jackson’s office issued this statement on the current anti- immigration law conflict in Arizona:
“It is a punitive, negative, unconstitutional law, which presumes guilt and selectively punishes Latinos. The Bible teaches us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and never turn the stranger, the refugee, away,” Rev. Jackson pointed out. “It is always useful to remember that Jesus taught us that as we do unto ‘the least of these,’ that’s how we do unto Jesus.
This Arizona ‘law’ attacks the very character of America. All Americans should be protected from stereotyping, WWB or DWB (‘Walking While Brown’ or ‘Driving While Brown’). We are guaranteed rights no matter our religion, our race, our gender, our previous condition of servitude.
Arizona is now trying to deny equal protection, undermining our lives, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness. Now law enforcement officials are required to harass the innocent, based only on appearance—even when law enforcement officials do not wish to do so, or sense no threats.
Sadly, Arizona, whose political leaders waited way too long to approve a state holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr., has been embarrassed by its “leaders” again. Arizona has, in effect, just decided that Latinos are guilty until proven innocent. And it may be, as Congressman Raul Grijalva has suggested, that once again an economic boycott will be necessary to bring Arizona’s political leadership to its senses.After all, an economic boycott helped a great deal in the Martin Luther King holiday struggle.
I have a question for conservatives—does the name Pete Wilson ring a bell?
Fortunately, the antidote to this bad medicine is already working—a common ground coalition between Latinos, African-Americans, Native Americans, and all those who admire the teachings of Dr. King, who was working on a multi-racial, multi-ethnic Poor People’s March on Washington when he was killed. In other words, the spirit of Dr. King commands us to find common ground, to fight back against state oppression, and to bring hope where others try to bring fear.”
