all 164 comments

[–]huhaskldasdpo 118 points119 points x2 (43 children)

Mr. Jackson,

You are an immoral, hate-filled race baiter that has figured out how to manipulate the political system for your own gain. You've personally set back race relations year after year and continue to do more harm than good. Extorting money from companies to line your pockets and threatening to bus in protestors and create a fake racial controversy if they don’t agree to pay you off is NOT civil rights activism. My question is simple; how is your relationship with the illegitimate child you fathered in 1998 while cheating on your wife? Bonus question: How much money have you extorted from various people and companies over the years of practicing your shakedown scheme? Do you think Al Capone would be jealous of your business model if he were still alive?

[–]tallerthanunicorngod 10 points11 points  (4 children)

I always wonder if Victoria just skips over this type of response, I can't imagine she reads it out loud to them.

[–]lula2488 7 points8 points  (1 child)

/u/chooter asks the hard questions. It doesn't mean the person will give an answer

[–]wicro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If she had been around during woody harrelson's ama, imagine how awkward that could've been.

V: Do you remember this girl from high school on prom night who says you-

WH: Stop it! Let's talk about Rampart!

[–]Eternally65 5 points6 points  (0 children)

She's said she reads them out. But they don't have to answer if they don't want to.

[–]zotquix 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah. There are legitimate criticisms to be had of Jessie Jackson, but the approach here just was in full attack mode. Which, hey, you're entitled to your opinion but it really is kind of a waste of an AMA.

Ever notice how journalists are civil to people imprisoned for even the worst crimes? It is in part because that fosters a better interview and you at least get some sort of response. Anyways, none of this is Victoria's fault, and I do hope she skips this comment.

[–]Aegent 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Well, he did say to ask him anything. Back to you, Jackson.

[–]masshamacide 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Well... This got interesting...

[–]PantsHasPockets 3 points4 points  (1 child)

That was really fast.

I wonder how long till mods remove it?

[–]yertles -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Not long I imagine.

[–]ManBearPaul 19 points20 points  (6 children)

I feel like this single-handedly may make Mr. Jackson think "oh shit, this may have not been such a good idea."

[–]BigCliffowski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's the thought that goes through my mind every time I go to reddit. Only right he gets it too.

[–]RevJesseJackson[S] 5 points6 points  (8 children)

I do. But I was jailed in 1960. For trying to use a public library. And that caused more good than harm. I marched to end segregation. The day Dr. King spoke on Washington, in 1963, I was there for that speech. That day, from Texas to Florida, you couldn't use a single public toilet. We could not buy ice cream at Howard Johnson's, or stay in Holiday Inns. We fought to bring those barriers down. And because those walls are down, all the new interstate construction across the South - the new bridges and ports, and seaports - that's progress. You couldn't have teams behind the Cotton Curtain. You couldn't have had Olympics in Atlanta behind the Cotton Curtain. You couldn't have Toyota, and Michelin, behind the Cotton Curtain, so we pulled those walls down.

So our work has been beneficial. And it seems to me that people who benefit from that work ascribe it to the wrong reasons.

When the laws change to make the South more civil, that brought in more investment. So we've made America better.

All these changes have come from our work. Our work has bene good for the South, and good for America.

My goal is to expand our consciousness, to create as big a tent as possible, as we fight for justice and world peace. I was able to bring Americans home from jail, from prison, and gaining those freedom of those Americans was the highest and best use of my talents and time.

[–]WLH7M 18 points19 points  (3 children)

Did you read the same questions as I did?

[–]OmahaVike 7 points8 points  (1 child)

/u/huhaskldasdpo : Do you think Al Capone would be jealous of your business model if he were still alive?

/u/RevJesseJackson/ : I do.

[–]SmeagolPockets 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jesse Jackson starting beef with Al Capone on Reddit, I like it

[–]Eternally65 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, this is confusing.

[–]AboutToPumaPants 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you missed a part of the OP's question.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]VictoryIsPreparation 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Thread started 15 minutes ago and you already slayed the dragon!

    Savage.

    [–]InTupacWeTrust 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    /u/chooter - please make this a true AMA and don't just ask the political correct answers.

    [–]arky527 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

    reverend rekt

    [–]Hg_Tenninger -5 points-4 points  (2 children)

    Hi ! May I ask you to tell me how exactly do you claim he extort money from companies?

    That seems like an important accusation for which you don't give too much references for all non-american redditors (5 minutes ago I thought that rev. Jesse Jackson was a character from coming to america) - (minor editions)

    Some context could be helpful

    [–]huhaskldasdpo 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    A brief sample:

    • Jackson lobbied the Federal Communications Commission to block companies seeking government approval to merge until they donate money to Rainbow Push.
    • Jackson publicly chastised Toyota for running an ad Jackson deemed “racist.” After Toyota pulled the ad, Jackson threatened a boycott the automaker to force it to launch a $7.8 million “diversity program.”
    • Jackson installed one of his friends, J.L. Armstrong, in a management position at Toyota to determine which organizations would receive $700 million in contracts awarded by Toyota.
    • Toyota's finance division sold a $300 million bond offering, with a portion going to two financial contributors of Jackson, just one week after Jackson's boycott was delayed.
    • The $300 million security offering that was farmed out through the underwriter to two of Jackson's biggest supporters on Wall Street. It happened just one week after Jackson announced he was delaying the boycott against Toyota.
    • The New York Post reported that Toyota sold a $300 million issue of medium-term notes through Goldman Sachs, "listing two street firms whose owners are big Jackson supporters - Blaylock & Partners, and Williams Capital - as sellers of the issue." Blaylock & Partners contributed $30,000 to CEF and also benefited from Jackson's opposition to a merger between AT&T and TCI. Jackson dropped his opposition when the companies hired Blaylock & Partners to float an $8 billion bond offering. AT&T then gave [Jackson's] CEF $425,000. Williams Capital has given Jackson at least $50 thousand in contributions.
    • Minority businesses pay Jackson’s “Trade Bureau” a fee to help extort lucrative contracts from corporations. During the trial, Jackson compared the Trade Bureau to “Noah’s Ark,” claiming minority businesses and organizations had to be inside the “ark” to survive.

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/132278407/Jesse-Jackson-Exposed-Report

    [–]FreezingInEdmonton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Thank you, huhaskldasdpo.

    This is what Jesse Jackson and his cronies consider to be "social justice".

    And some people wonder what he has done to garner such criticism...

    [–]BigCliffowski -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

    wtfpwn'd

    [–]Aegent 4 points5 points  (5 children)

    Hi there, Reverend. What are your thoughts on decriminalizing drug use? Furthermore, interested in your thoughts on the criminal justice system - specifically, what are some of the most pressing issues and how can we tackle them?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 3 points4 points  (4 children)

    Well, the criminalization of drug use, of crack and marijuana, has had the impact of jail populations exploding on non-violent drug use. It's driven a whole industry of locking people up, race profiling and locking people up. And because it's become so expensive, there's an attempt now to reduce it. But with little towns, that have a little shopping center - they don't want to give up their jails, even if people are innocent, they NEED the jail - which is a corrupt choice, it seems to me.

    The Criminal Justice system - let me give you a case in South Carolina. In a prison, those prisoners are working for 80 cents an hour. And so police benefit from it, social workers, judges, the whole system is built around mass arrests of black people.

    These companies are actually ON the stock exchange. They make money. It's like a jail hotel, or a homeless shelter. In Chicago, there are 10,000 inmates in the Cook County Facility, the most of any one place in the country, plus black and brown, and according to the sheriff, about 40% of them are mental health cases that need care more than jailing. So spending on that further runs up the costs.

    So the system is in disarray, and highly corrupted, and very much affected by race.

    I think decriminalizing will help affect the outcome. Because many of those in jail would get out. And then others who are going in, would not go in. The increased use of ankle monitor bracelets, when necessary. But for non-violent drug use, they are looking for other ways. Because it's a very harmful, inhumane process.

    [–]tape_tissue 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    TIL Jesse Jackson wants to decriminalize the use of crack.

    [–]usuallyclassy69 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I'm all for the decriminalization of all drugs, hard or soft. I'm not saying legalize it, I'm saying we need a better way to respond to drug users, especially non-violent offenders.

    [–]SmeagolPockets 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Glad you brought up prison slave labor, I just recently found out companies line Victoria's Secret and Starbucks use prisoners as part of their workforce for cost savings and am pretty disgusted by it.

    [–]Ruwaidah 14 points15 points  (3 children)

    Have you felt regretful for rushing to judgement after condemning the "perpetrators" of the Duke lacrosse rape scandal during 2006-07?

    Do you and Al Sharpton still support Crystal Mangum's rape allegations?

    [–]Hagiographic 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    Didn't she get arrested for murder like 2 years ago, or assault?

    [–]Eternally65 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Convicted. 14 years for second degree murder. Just FYI.

    [–]tbulls123 3 points4 points  (1 child)

    Ho was it like working with MLK?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    First of all, Dr. King was a good and kind person.

    Tough mind, tender hard, intellectually very strong.

    He had a great sense of history.

    He was a very courageous man. He did not mind facing, for his convictions, criticism.

    Facing jail, or dying for his convictions.

    Often, you have the "Philosopher King" business - people deepen philosophy but get weak on action. He was like a Philosopher King, who was willing to live and die for his convictions. He knew he was volunteering to live at great risk for his convictions, and did it without a whimper.

    [–]terran1212 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Reverend Jackson, will you consider endorsing Bernie Sanders? He is putting together a coalition similar to those that you put together in the 80's -- recall that he also helped you win Vermont in your own presidential campaign!

    [–]orangejulius 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    SCOTUS will likely revisit affirmative action. Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in Grutter v. Bollinger that the issue should be revisted in 25 years - that was in 2003.

    Do you think the timeline in Bollinger was fair? If SCOTUS revists the issue early - do you think affirmative action has served it's purpose and is no longer a valid tool? If it's no longer constitutional what should replace that tool?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Affirmative action is designed to remedy negative actions. Women were denied access because of their gender -they could not go to med or law school, so they passed something called Title 9 so women could have affirmative action. Blacks were denied based on skin color. And so today, you have more women lawyers and judges and businesspeople and CEOS because of that access to education. So Affirmative Action has been good for America. It has actually be working. Because locking people out on race or skin or religion - that's not good. This year, I saw a group playing college basketball, they weren't sure whether they should support Affirmative Action. And in fact, the whole team was because of Affirmative Action. To not have men's basketball without women's basketball. Without the law you wouldn't have women's athletic scholarships. So whether it's athletics, academics or science- not long ago, I flew from Chicago to LA, and had a female pilot, which might not have been allowed before. And because of that consciousness being raised - that's why the idea of an African-American president, or a women president, is not surprising to us. So there's an evolution in our consciousness.

    [–]pinealsight 5 points6 points  (2 children)

    Rev. Jackson,

    thanks for your time,

    What is your opinion regarding the growing number of Police murders in the US and the recent church attacks?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Well, there is an ugly backlash, it seems, against our civil rights progress over the last 50 years.

    These killings have taken place for a long time, but without witnesses, we cannot prove the case.

    With jurors prejudiced towards the police, they can file false reports. The increasing amount of cameras are showing these killings, and jurors are seeing this. And that is the biggest difference. We would not have known that Walter Scott was killed. He did not drop a gun. Or the cases in New York, or Rodney King in California.

    So the exposure of police lies is discrediting reports of many police.

    We NEED police to protect and serve.

    But not to lie and steal.

    And about 7 church burnings have taken place. Historically, church has been for us a rallying place, a place for people to come together. So to burn the church is to burn the center of the community. The church leaders whose voices were the voices heard most clearly, so they have face assassination. There was a range of church burnings back in the mid-90s when Bill Clinton was president, and the FBI helped deter it.

    And then this recent weeks - clearly it's a pattern. The investigation is saying they don't know whether it's arson, or lightning, or hate crime, or terror - it's obvious these are acts of terror and intimidation. And it is what it is, and I'd like to think the Governor has done us proud during this season of pain. She has attended all of the 9 funerals. She has taken a strong position about pulling down the Confederate flag. And I hope she will take the strong position to stop terrorists from burning these churches. I think she has used her platform well to project a state of civility in South Carolina.

    What I'm concerned about is the silence among white churches in the face of obvious acts of terror against black churches, and black people.

    [–]JWAxeMan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Just FYI, the rate isn't really growing all that much, it's just receiving more media coverage.

    [–]I_amWEB 7 points8 points  (5 children)

    Why do you think many African Americans dislike Dr. Ben Carson?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Well, he has taken some positions, it seems, contrary to our perceived interests. He's not taken strong positions on the need for having equal and fair access to voting, which is so critical. He assumes that problem is solved. It's not resolved. Once section 4 was removed from the Voting Rights Act, we had a radical setback. He's not been a very visible voice.

    He's not been as vocal as he should've been.

    I have a rather high regard for him, because I feel that whether we agree or disagree, he's a brilliant surgeon. Many blacks don't like him, but many blacks do. And he's a very treasured person in our community, really.

    [–]tallerthanunicorngod 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    Well his blatant insults and bigotry towards the gay community probably don't help matters.

    [–]SensibleMadness -4 points-3 points  (1 child)

    Many African Americans are deeply religious and socially conservative. Negativity toward gay rights wouldn't necessarily sway them all that much.

    Edit: For the downvoters, a much smaller percentage of African Americans support gay marriage (41%) than the percentage of white Americans who support gay marriage (59%).

    [–]tallerthanunicorngod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    So he just pissed off 4/10 people likely beyond the point anything else he could do could help, doesn't take much more to make the majority hate him.

    [–]Hagiographic -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

    He's utter garbage

    [–]Jacks_Grin 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Why are you so racist against white people?

    [–]jeebus23 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    How do you go about changing peoples mind when it comes to race? What do you say to people who see the violence and say things like "well, if he didn't want to get shot in the back, he shouldn't have ran." instead of addressing the problem?

    [–]ajlposh[🍰] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    What was your experience of hosting Saturday Night Live like?

    [–]avatar_of_internet 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    Hi Rev. Jackson!

    It's probably not amiss to say that you're a very controversial figure, especially with Reddit's core demographic. What would you say is the largest incorrect assumption people make about you, and what would you like to say to clear that up?

    [–]BroadAndPattison 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Why did you think this AMA would be a good idea?

    [–]ZAZBZCZDZE 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Were justified in referring to Jews as "Hymies" and New York City as "Hymietown"?

    [–]princessdoggybowl 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    what is your view on abortion?

    [–]commandrix 3 points4 points  (2 children)

    What are some things that the average African-American can do to help reduce racial tensions in his area?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] -1 points0 points  (1 child)

    Well, the source of those tensions often come from denial of an even playing field.

    You know, we are very good at athletics. Because the playing field is even, and the rules are public, and the goals are clear, and the referees are fair. You win, you lose, with a great sense of dignity.

    We are in the awkward position of high infant mortality rates, lower life expectancy, less access to jobs, less access to capital and wages. So the source of tensions are not coming from those who are victims in these schemes, but those who have the power, and those who prize power and greed over human beings.

    Not long ago, I was watching the news about the US and Cuba. And when you look at the fact that African-americans are the most racially profiled, the most arrested, the most jailed, the most shot unarmed by police who walk away free, those are violations of human rights. And we have less access to education, less access to healthcare and less access to where the jobs are.

    So the ruling was you can no longer by RACE discriminate. But now you can discriminate by resources. We have a low-tax base, a high unemployment rate, and lower education. So industries are where you have more educated people, more employed people, their children tend to do better. That's inhumane. That's unfair. When the playing field is evened, we tend to do quite well.

    [–]DukeDuval 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I would actually be very interested to hear an answer to commandrix question...

    [–]BullshitAnswer 6 points7 points  (9 children)

    What ratio of peanut butter to jelly (jam?) do you like your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

    [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 3 points4 points  (8 children)

    I would rather have peanut butter and jam separately. I like both of them, just not necessarily together.

    [–]Ryder10 40 points41 points  (4 children)

    So separate but equal?

    [–]zjbirdwork 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Seriously wondering if he was actually trying to say that passive aggressively.

    [–]Jacks_Grin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    AYYYY LMAO

    [–]Black_Suit_Matty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Holy fuck, that's hilarious.

    [–]CRFyou -1 points0 points  (0 children)

    I'm gonna get the national guard to supervise the spreading of jam on his peanut butter sandwich... There is no need to segregate those 2 foods.

    Studies have shown that they get along just fine.

    [–]Obie_Trice_Kenobi 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Guys that was a pretty good one

    [–]masshamacide 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    wants to end segregation, but segregates peanut butter and jam.

    outrageous.

    [–]BullshitAnswer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I can already read the buzzfeed headline "Jesse Jacksons fights to end segregation, you'll never believe what he likes to keep separate!"

    [–]spencerlance 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Do you enjoy manipulating companies so they can fund your hate campaign?

    [–]pighalf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    How is the relationship between you and Rev Al Sharpton like?

    [–]Jilly_Willy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    What kind of music do you listen to?

    [–]foxedendpapers 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    What are your thoughts on intersectionality, and how do you see it applying to your mission?

    Particularly curious about your perspective on the Charleston shooters' comment about blacks "raping our women" and, separately, how to address the injustices against black women, black transgendered individuals, and black homosexuals when black Americans themselves often have hostile views toward those minorities.

    [–]mettmann 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    What is your opinion regarding the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage?

    [–]Hagiographic 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    What do you think of hotep twitter?

    [–]Sir_Awkward_Moose 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    With so many non white racial issues impacting blacks, why do you tend to focus on those issues that actively drive a wedge between races?

    for example, the historically poor graduation rates of blacks compared to other races

    or the disproportionate homicides of black on black

    or the high percent of out of wedlock births by blacks

    [–]Jayk_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Ah, what made you do this? reddit hates black people.

    [–]OhHelloPlease 4 points5 points  (4 children)

    Did you ever watch the South Park episode "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson"? And if so, what was your opinion of it?

    [–]Frajer 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Reverend Jackson Dr King has become almost mythical, what was he like to work with?

    [–]FreezingInEdmonton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    What should happen to someone like Tawana Brawley who falsely claimed to be a victim of white racism, rape, assault and was never tried for her crimes and never had her assets seized or wages garnished to compensate her victims decades after her destructive lies?

    [–]Moncole 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Why do you hate everyone who isn't black?

    [–]Accolades4000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    What do you think about Native American rights and injustices toward them? You're a powerful force for bringing attention to people who are otherwise overlooked.

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [deleted]

      [–]Black_Suit_Matty 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      I think anyone with half a brain knows you would never want racial equality, because then you'd have to get a real fucking job. Don't you feel bad about telling the young black man he isn't as good as the white man, so you can keep taking in cash?

      [–]Sir_Awkward_Moose 5 points6 points  (5 children)

      Also, I am just back from Charleston, the scene of the most traumatic killings since my former boss and mentor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

      Seems a little bit inflated, no? Why would you say that this killing was more traumatic than say Sandy Hook?

      [–]CaptainSnotRocket 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      Hi Jesse. Why Doesn't Al Sharpton pay his taxes?

      I know you and him are good buddies, so I was hoping you could give me a legit answer.

      [–]Andyk123 2 points3 points  (2 children)

      What were the most inspirational/memorable words MLK ever said to you? Any interesting stories you have to share about him that the general public might not be aware of?

      [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      You know, the most memorable expression was "Do not allowpeople to bring them down to your level. Maintain your moral high ground. But in doing so, you must choose to get ahead, and not get even."

      That was one expression of his.

      I also remember his last birthday, how he spent it. In January 1960, he convened a group of us - people from the Deep South, Alabama, some Native Americans, some Latino alliances - but he said that morning, he came and he had breakfast, around 8 o'clock with his staff, he went to the basement of his church, and he spent his own last birthday at home with the family, convening as a coalition of activists, to go to Washington, to fight to end poverty, to fight to end the war. And I guess the other was, the last time before he went to Memphis and was killed. We had a meeting, and we had a call that the Sanitation Workers in Memphis were being denied. So we did not see that as inconsistent philosophically, though it was not on our schedule. He convened us, late on Friday night, and said "I wanna have an emergency staff meeting tomorrow morning." Members around the country were resistant in coming, but he called and we came. And that morning, he said to his wife, and my wife was there as well, "I feel very well. Because I'm under attack by the press, by other civil rights organizations. Because they don't understand the connection between the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Maybe i should just quit. We've begun to transform the South. We have the right to vote. Maybe I should just begin to seek to become president of college, or write."

      And I remember Andrew Young said "Dr. King, don't talk that way."

      And he then said "I thought there was so much division in our ranks that i would consider fasting to the point of death. And around my beside, everyone would agree that we needed to end poverty. And then snapped out of it, and said "We need to go to Washington, and turn a minus into a plus. We can't go backwards."

      So I've thought about the 3 rules of Jesus. One of them was "let this cup pass from me." And then as he prayed, disciples slept, and then he said "Not my will, but thine be done."

      Dr. King had those same 3 basic moves. And his determination really stand out in my mind.

      [–]Andyk123 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Thank you very much for the response! Very enlightening and uplifting!

      [–]Enlightened-Youth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      White supremacist web sites have come under scrutiny in the aftermath of the Charleston shooting. Aside from dedicated racist sites, the SPLC has determined that racist rhetoric is highly proliferative on Reddit. Do you consider online racism to be another reflection of more widespread preexisting racism or a radicalizing force in itself driving acts of violence and intimidation, and how do you recommend combating this trend?

      [–]rbraunz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Rev. Jackson, I was curious what your thoughts are of Kendrick Lamar? As a millennial, I feel he's proving to be a key figure in our generation's civil rights discussion.

      [–]Pyrolytic 1 point2 points  (0 children)

      What do you think is the largest contributor to the increasing vitriolic nature of whites reacting to black Americans? What do you think can be done to ease racial relations? Do you find yourself more hopeful now for the future than you were in the 60s and 70s?

      [–]evil_midget 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Is your son out of prison yet?

      [–]oksoithought 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      I just read that only the percentage of departments that both to report killings is single digits and the NYPD is complaining about simple reform changes that include only minor accountability.
      What do you think it'll take to get actual reform within our Police? Do you think the holdup is anything more than political self preservation?

      [–]CR0SBO 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Simply; What do you hope to gain most from this AMA?

      [–]KempisFanboy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      What made you chose the Baptist denomination over other, more orthodox groups?

      [–]HarkinsonMother Jones -1 points0 points  (2 children)

      Civil rights issues have really resurfaced in recent months, with the Black Lives Matter protests, the shooting in Charleston, the gay marriage ruling. But you continue, among other things, to focus on Silicon Valley. Why do you think that work is important?

      [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

      Well, when it's real dark, wherever there's light, you gravitate towards the light.

      When you're in the hole, you're looking for a rope.

      So the jobs, the development, are in Silicon Valley.

      You know, one of every 5 African-American jobs is in the public sector. The private sector has locked us out. Many black professionals, whether they're churches, labor, their business came from other blacks.

      So it's time to challenge that sector to open up.

      For example, Silicon businesses - making available their records to the Equal Opportunity - we bought shares of stock in companies. What we knew was that the top companies board members - there were 56 white women, 3 black members, and 1 latino.

      Almost zero. Employment there was around 2% at max, almost no investment in start-up companies. And that's in the tech part.

      But in the non-tech part - lawyers, advertising agencies, marketing and the services - we found in that area strong patterns of exclusion, and denial. So we bought shares of stock because we indexed so heavily as consumers in those categories.

      And there's a law. That law is on equal employment opportunity. And contract compliance. And the federal government should enforce those laws, state and local governments should enforce those laws.

      So we've gone to 10 or so board meetings now, bringing up questions as shareholders - why are there no blacks on your board, or latinos? And they have no good answer why there are so few in the C-suites. And there was no good answers.

      The first answer is "Well, we can't find them." And they were looking in the wrong places, and 40% of black engineers are coming from historically black colleges, schools in the south that teach blacks engineering. But they have not been recruiting there.

      They want more STEM educated youth? Those schools teach that. As a matter of fact, the Rainbow Force is organizing programs to help kids.

      And so we find that there's more of an opportunity deficit than a talent deficit.

      When we went to Facebook's meeting, for example - at the end of the day you do business with people you know, and like. So we can't get the investment we need in startup companies, at the seed level. So that's what we're working on now.

      And I might add that Intel put up millions for startups. We're working through how to make that process work. Another portion will be to go to reaching out to black colleges. They want to make their workforces look like America by 2020.

      So our goals, our timetable is to make all those businesses look like America by 2020.

      [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

      David Drummond , incorporator of Google, I must say, he's secretary of their board. And John Thompson, who's a graduate of Florida A&M, has been chairman of the board of Microsoft since Bill Gates. So there's evidence that we can serve at every level, so it's about opening up opportunities.

      And it's a chance for them to grow. Because black and brown communities - what do we represent? Market, money, talent ,location, and growth. And when they ignore those markets, they mis-market those things. So it's to their advantage to include. And I think that's why you see this rumbling now, trying to reconstruct those relationships.

      [–]skoomaed 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      Do you think that marijuana prohibition is a civil rights issue? What do you think should be our country's policy towards marijuana?

      [–]RevJesseJackson[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      Well, marijuana should not be used as jailbait, to expand the jail population. Some people use marijuana for medical reasons, some people use marijuana for recreational reasons. It should never be used as a weapon to justify arresting people en masse.

      [–]RAND0611 1 point2 points  (2 children)

      Do you think that the recent high profile police shooting incidents are the result of systematic racism or just an increase in the media's reporting of these incidents?

      [–]MuppetOSRS -1 points0 points  (0 children)

      Are you really the ambassador of black people like south park told me?

      [–]ytaima 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      Rev. Jackson in the Mother Jones article you mentioned your nephew and that he did not get any appropriate job offers in Silicon though he got a master's in mechanical engineering. Stanford is very highly regarded and it is strange he didn't get any job offers. Would you elaborate? I mean, why do you think he got no job offers?

      [–]RevJesseJackson[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

      Well, we met a number of students from Stanford - he has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. And now teaches at MIT. But then you see many whites who are less qualified getting investments on ideas. This really is the fourth stage of our struggle. The second stage, is Legal Jim Crow. And if you were a slaveocracy - where one slavemaster owned 1,000 people - if he made all the decisions, that's a slaveocracy, versus if one person wants to vote in a democracy. And that was changed in 1870. And then 4,000 lynchings occurred between 1880 and 1950 that never went indicted. Many of them took outside the church or courthouse. And the third rule was the right to vote. It began to change our representation, to shift our resources, so beyond slavery, beyond segregation, beyond the right to vote, is the fourth stage we're at today - access to capital, technology. And that's what's missing, is access to capital, and deals, and deal flow. And effort and excellence means a LOT. And that's why all those auto dealerships - that's why no black owns a soft drink franchise today. There's so many businesses where there are 0 black or brown people.

      My nephew was Oakland. So you'd think he'd be on the priority list. But these companies are more focused on bringing in H1B visas than in training youth in Oakland or San Francisco. So we challenge them to develop youth at home. He's just an example of a qualified person who was overlooked.

      I think now, the real deal is that Disney, about a month ago, brought in 250 workers in Orlando, Florida. They thought they were getting a promotion. But they were told to train H1B workers to replace them, or they were not getting their severance.

      We raised so much public hell about it, until they retreated from that.

      Many companies will use H1B workers who are in a tenuous and insecure position - is there something that kids in foreign countries have that Americans don't? That's not true, and it's not fair.

      [–]Dachannien 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      With so many other cases recently where police have abused their power at the expense of black people, including a case where the video evidence strongly indicates that a black man was gunned down in cold blood by a police officer, why do you continue to use Michael Brown as an example of abuse of police power? Even Eric Holder's Department of Justice cleared Darren Wilson and indicated that there was significant forensic and eyewitness evidence to support Wilson's position.

      [–][deleted]  (2 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]Donghanger -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

        Why do you tell people you are the emporer of all black people?

        [–]mellowmott 0 points1 point  (0 children)

        Which do you think is a bigger issue: racism or sexism?

        [–]bundt_trundler -1 points0 points  (0 children)

        Hymie Town...what was up with that?

        [–]Balderdash_Cam -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

        It was reported by others that were present that you dipped your hands in Martin Luther King Jr's blood, then smeared it on yourself before talking to the press and that you also claimed to be present when he was assassinated, when in fact you were not. Were these statements accurate?

        [–]Dirk-Killington -1 points0 points  (0 children)

        Rev. Jackson, how does it feel to ride on the coat tails of a great man even decades after his death? Have you ever woken up in the morning and just not been able to face the day knowing full well that Martin Luther King did more for civil rights in a 15 minute speech than you have in your entire life?