Jackson Speaks for Economic Empowerment

The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged black churches to help parishioners empower themselves economically at a speech in a Central Square church yesterday.

The civil rights leader addressed a range of topics from teaching inner-city youth about the stock market to the controversy over the Confederate flag in South Carolina.

But the main thrust of his speech at the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Christian Life Center was that black Americans can break the cycle of poverty with help from their church communities.

"I was born in the slum, but the slum was not born in me," said Jackson.

His speech was part of the Richard Allen lecture series on "The Black Church in the New Millennium," and was moderated by Climenko Professor Charles J. Ogletree of Harvard Law School.

Jackson outlined four movements he said black Americans have striven to achieve throughout history.

So far, he said, black people have secured the first three movements: ending slavery, segregation and disenfranchisement. The fourth stage, which Jackson said is crucial to the complete liberation of blacks, is gaining access to capital and technology.

"We must choose to...get empowered and not embittered," he said.

He outlined the history of Richard Allen, the founder and first bishop of the AME church who bought himself out of slavery in the 18th century and fought against religious segregation.

But while Jackson lauded the self-determination and courage of Allen, he told his audience not just to admire such dynamic figures but to get involved in the public sphere.

"We are all called to change public policy," he said.

He also said that while more than 75 percent of those arrested are white, 55 percent of those in prison are black.

Jackson said such statistics show that black people are not committing more crimes but that they lack fair legal representation.

"Racial profiling needs to end," he said.

Jackson said the solution to pervasive black poverty is cooperation between church leaders and the community, focusing on getting church members out of debt and teaching each other how to use money wisely in major investments.

He said members need to instruct each other about how to obtain life, fire and health insurance and how to invest in stocks and mutual funds, especially young people.

But he said he was still hopeful for the future.

"It is an awesome challenge to go forward by dreams and hope and not backward by fear and memory," he said. "We must choose to go forward by our dreams."

In a press conference after the speech, Jackson said black Americans are a great source of "underutilized talent and untapped capital." He compared the situation to sports, pointing out how much athletics progressed once black athletes were allowed to participate.

At the press conference, the two-time Democratic presidential contender was asked his opinion of the 2000 election.

Jackson denounced Texas Gov. George W. Bush for equivocating about the Confederate flag in South Carolina. By not condemning the flag, Jackson said Bush was sanctioning a symbol of "secession, sedition, slavery and sabotage."

Although Jackson said he did not openly endorse any one candidate, he said he thought Vice President Al Gore '69 possessed the three qualities that a successful politician must have: "ideas, relationships and hard work."

He said racial understanding must be a prominent national issue and consideration during the campaign.

The crowd of more than 200 seemed enthusiastic during Jackson's lecture. Shouts of "amen" and "hallelujah" were accompanied by bursts of applause.

In addition to Jackson, the program featured gospel music by the church choir as well as singers from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

City councillor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 presented Jackson with a key to the city of Cambridge.

Jackson quipped that he hoped the key would open the bank of economic opportunity.