CHICAGO—Yusef D. Jackson, the youngest son of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. and Jacqueline Jackson, recently made his debut as the new president and CEO of the National Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the organization founded by his father.
The organization’s board unanimously appointed Mr. Jackson to take over the reins. He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Rainbow PUSH.
“Economic injustice continues to widen the gap between those with opportunity and those shut out. The fight for civil rights has always been inseparable from economic justice—and if we are serious about building a more just society, we must deliver on both,” Mr. Jackson said in an April 9 news release.
“My father’s voice helped shape a movement and transform a nation. Now, we must build a bridge from that legacy to this moment—moving from words to action by rebuilding our base, reenergizing the Rainbow Coalition, and bringing more people into this work,” he added.
On April 11, Mr. Jackson addressed the weekly Rainbow PUSH Saturday Morning Forum, where he shared with the audience that after the death of his father on February 17, he and the Jackson family reached an “inflection point.”
“Do you stop, take your break, or do you keep going? And we chose to keep going because that’s how Rev. Jackson would have it. The work continues, we have to develop the intestinal fortitude
The emotional maturity through our faith to keep working, confronting the challenges of our day and to go forward through our pain, our loss and our profound grief,” he said.
When he spoke of the board’s decision to appoint him as president and CEO, Mr. Jackson said, “This is an honor that I humbly accept.”
The youngest Jackson son also thanked his mother, the Rainbow PUSH board, and his father for providing him an opportunity to serve.He also announced the upcoming Rainbow PUSH Annual Convention, which will be held June 10–13 in Chicago. For more information, visit rainbowpush.org.—The Final Call