Meet Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson was born on October 8, 1941 in Greenville , South Carolina. He was born into a segregated neighborhood during a time that it was very difficult to show any individuality as everything was separate and not equal. For example, if a man wanted to have a drink of water in public he could do so, but had to drink from a separate bucket or water cooler that was labeled "Colored." Jesse's grandmother didn't want him to be ignorant and wanted him to explore the world through books and handed many along to him so he could be, as she said, "an important person." She was right! When Jesse grew up he became an important person in the civil rights movement. He was an activist and joined in many activities such as sit-ins and protests. With his education he became a minister like his idol, Martin Luther King, Jr., whom he met and worked with. He started two very important groups. One was called People United to Serve Humanity (PUSH) to help and encourage blacks to obtain work and start businesses for themselves. The other one was called the Rainbow Coalition. At the time it was formed to help all races get him elected to the presidency, but today it "works to help minorities get better jobs, housing, and schooling." Jesse Jackson remains a mighty force in the push for civil rights and continues to be a leader for equal rights. This book is done in large print and is a very basic biographical sketch for the young juvenile reader. It is nicely done, but the information is quite limited. It could be used as a stepping stone for further research into the area of civil rights. If you are looking for an in depth biography you will be disappointed, but if you are looking for an introductory biography you will be quite pleased!