Jesse to get competition from Al in Chicago
Among Chicago’s many claims to fame, being home to Jesse Jackson‘s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition has long been at the top of the list for black activists. If one excludes Louis Farrakhan’s Black Muslims, Jesse’s organization has pretty much been the only game in town. But like a Target with a Wal-Mart under construction across the street, he’s about to get competition–and from no less a luminary than the legendary Al Sharpton.
According to an article in the White Rock Reviewer,
The Rev. Al Sharpton plans to open a branch of his National Action Network in Chicago to target what he calls chronic police misconduct and a lack of political accountability. It‘s also the home turf of the Rev. Jesse Jackson‘s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, but the New York-based Sharpton says he sees no conflict.
“So what is the controversy about me coming to Chicago?” the 52-year-old asked.
Of course, when either of the two worthies speak, the Establishment listens. As the Reviewer further reports,
Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said the mayor and Sharpton spoke by phone Wednesday and that the men have many of the same aims, including justice and addressing police misconduct.
What an honor! Two “HNICs” (for the unitiated: an acronym used mostly by blacks meaning “Head Negro In Charge”) in Chicago! We can hardly wait.Â
This could get interesting. Jesse has always been the Daley family pet. When he started, he could only see racism in enemies of the Daley organization. Only business that did not donate to the Daleys saw Jesse picketing in front of them. The only time Jesse was active was when Jane Buryn was mayor.
Sharton does not have this baggage.
Posted on August 8th, 2007 at 11:20 pm by LK