The Rainbow Coalition
|
Posted By: Terry Reid on May 01, 2009 The struggle for freedom and equality for African Americans is one that is passed down from generation to generation and from one era of black leadership to the next. Throughout history, the African American leadership has had many outstanding men and women who made their mark and made a difference for black people in America. And that tradition continues to this day with modern black leadership such as Barrack Obama, The Reverend Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Jessie Jackson has organized his efforts to continue the struggle for civil rights in one of the most innovative organizations in history that came to be known as the Rainbow Coalition. This organization represented the dreams and goals of the Reverend Jackson, to be sure. But it also represents the shared efforts of black Americans across the country in modern times to keep the dream of Martin Luther King alive and moving forward. In fact, the Rainbow Coalition was the outcome of a series of efforts and movements that began with a relationship between Reverend Jackson and Dr. King. It was Martin Luther King that asked Jessie Jackson to head up a movement called Operation Breadbasket, a project to seek the economic improvement of black communities across the country, particularly in the inner city. Operation Breadbasket eventually evolved into a powerful civil rights organization known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As these movements started to make a real difference in the lives of African Americans in America, another step was the development of Operation PUSH which stood for People United to Save Humanity. This influential organization has become the cornerstone for promoting civil rights and social justice for African Americans in the last twenty years. It was from these different initiatives and the success they were realizing that the Rainbow Coalition was birthed to seek economic opportunity in the business community and to encourage Fortune 500 companies to hire minorities and to expand their involvement in the nurture and the development of black community for the good of all peoples. The naming of the movement “The Rainbow Coalition” is pivotal to the vision Reverend Jackson had for the civil rights movement. He did not see it as just black people working for the betterment of the black community. Instead, inspired by Martin Luther King’s dream of equality and brotherhood of all races, the coalition would truly be a partnership of all minorities, the white community and other equal rights movements to seek equal opportunity for all of America’s citizens. The important stance that The Rainbow Coalition brought to the consciousness of the black community and to America was the concept that civil rights was not just a black issue. It emphasized that all of America cannot move foreword when a part of the population is left behind to flounder in poverty and without the benefits of a good education and job opportunities. The result is that the black pride that was built by key figures of black history such as Mohammed Ali, Spike Lee and even more radical elements such as Malcolm X and the Black Panthers could now be used to promote true equality in the society. In doing so, Jackson and other contemporary black leaders taught that the African American community not only could be but must insist on being fully black and fully American in their status in American culture. Finally, the Rainbow Coalition emphasized that civil rights is not just a political issue. The emphasis was on all aspects of American life including economic equality, social opportunity and even equal representation in the media and entertainment arts. To be truly represented as an important part of American culture, black Americans must have equal opportunities in all venues. This is the message for its time that Reverend Jackson and the Rainbow coalition has brought and continues to bring to the national stage. And it’s an important message that takes the good that was done in past civil rights movements in this country and brings up to date with a new century. **************************************************** Proud member of BBB Club http://tinyurl.com/blackbusiness If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Terry Reid
Field Service Engineer, Critical System Services Member Since April 2009 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Blogs
 |
JUNIQUES GOSPEL MUSICAL REVIEW LOOKS AT AI GOSPEL THE NEW GENREJUNIQUES GOSPEL MUSICAL REVIEW LOOKS AT AI GOSPEL THE NEW GENRE
“Today, we step into a new era of gospel expression.
An era where every one of our 1440 minutes becomes ministry.
Where AI multipli ...more
rickey johnson • 109 Views • May 6th, 2026 |
 |
JUNIQUES MAY 2026 GOSPEL MUSICAL REVIEW SHOW ON ROKUJUNIQUES MAY 2026 GOSPEL MUSICAL REVIEW SHOW ON ROKU
visit http://allnationstv.com
and
http://gospelmusicalreview.org
...more
rickey johnson • 242 Views • May 3rd, 2026 |
 |
Free Will and Universal Spirit Awesome Power!!!!!visit http://gospelmusicalreview.org
We move as a people whose choices are free, and whose power is fueled by Spirit.
We choose our path, and the Universal Spirit breathes purpose into that choice ...more
rickey johnson • 329 Views • April 30th, 2026 |
 |
Grammy Nominated Artist & Reigning American Idol Winner JAMAL ROBERTS Release New Single "Perfect For Me"@JAMALROBERTS #JAMALROBERTS
IG@OfficialJamalRoberts
TikTok@OfficialJamalRoberts
FB@JamalRobertsOfficial
You can "Catch Jamal Roberts performing "Perfect For Me" Live on American Idol MONDAY Ma ...more
LaMarr Blackmon • 2,565 Views • April 29th, 2026 |
 |
2026 Lexus LX 700h Review – One Week in the DMVI replaced my daily vehicle with the 2026 Lexus LX 700h Luxury Hybrid Premium and spent a week exploring D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, dealing with Beltway traffic, pothole-filled side streets in Prin ...more
Randi Payton • 261 Views • April 29th, 2026 |
Popular Blogs
 |
Divorce in America in 2009 – What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Join Brother Marcus and the cast and the crew of the Brother Marcus Show live this Sunday evening on February 1, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. for another hot topic in our community! “Divorce in America in 2009 ...more
Brother Marcus! • 71,224,553 Views • January 27th, 2009 |
 |
VISINE ALERT!!!Seemingly innocent medication such as Visine eyedrops are used by people to concoct a mixture with similar effects as a date-rape drug.
When mixed with alcohol and taken orally, the eyedrops can l ...more
Siebra Muhammad • 119,530 Views • May 23rd, 2009 |
 |
"Chain Hang Low" check out the real meaning of the Lyrics!Recently there is a new artist out of Saint Louis that goes by the name JIBBS. Jibbs debut single "Chain hang low" has a history that most people are not aware of. The particular nursery rhyme that th ...more
Tyhesha Judge-Fogle • 77,802 Views • November 9th, 2006 |
 |
HBCU Marketplace Gifts: Divine 9 Premium Fraternity / Sorority Playing CardsVendor: Charles Jones
Item Price: $20.00
Price Includes Shipping: Yes - Shipping Included
Item Description:
Pantheon Series - Divine 9 - Premium Playing Cards (choose Gold Series or Silve ...more
Hija Chang • 62,728 Views • December 2nd, 2018 |
