<span style="font-weight: bold;"><img style="width: 235px; height: 291px;" src="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/11/1108_after_politics/image/5.jpg"/>
Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights Activist, Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., Was Born October 8, 1941, In Greenville, South Carolina.

During The 1960's, Jackson Was Active In Various Civil Rights Campaigns, Including Sit-Ins, The Desegregation Of A Public Library And Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.'s <span style="font-style: italic;">March On Selma, Alabama.</span></span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 1965 He Became A Full-Time Organizer Of The <span style="font-style: italic;">Southern Christian Leadership Conference</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">SCLC</span>). Dr. King Subsequently Appointed Him <span style="font-style: italic;">Director</span> Of The <span style="font-style: italic;">SCLC</span> Initiative, <span style="font-style: italic;">Operation Breadbasket.</span></span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">In 1971 Jackson Founded Operation <span style="font-style: italic;">P.U.S.H.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">People United To Serve Humanity</span>). The Goals Of The Organization Were <span style="font-style: italic;">Economic Empowerment And Expanding Business And Educational Opportunities For Disadvantaged People Of Color.</span></span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jesse Jackson Was <span style="font-style: italic;">The First African American To Be Taken Seriously As A Contender For A Major Political Party Nomination</span> (Eldridge Cleaver Ran For President In 1968 And Shirley Chisholm Vied For The Office In 1972).</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackson's Campaign Has Been Called "<span style="font-style: italic;">one of the most dramatic developments in modern American political history</span>." The Long-Time Civil Rights Activist Proposed The Creation Of A New Political Alliance, The <span style="font-style: italic;">Rainbow Coalition.</span></span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">Based On The Concept Of Economic Justice,</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <span style="font-style: italic;">Coalition</span> Was To Be Composed Of Individuals Traditionally Marginalized By The American System, <span style="font-style: italic;">African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Elderly Women, The Poor, The Disabled And Small-Scale Farmers.</span></span><br style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">In The <span style="font-style: italic;">1984</span> Primary Elections Jackson Got <span style="font-style: italic;">2.5</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Million Black Votes</span> And 800,000 Votes From Non-Blacks, Giving Him <span style="font-style: italic;">10 Percent Of The Total White Primary</span> Vote.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">He Ran Again In <span style="font-style: italic;">1988</span> And Received <span style="font-style: italic;">20 Percent</span> Of The White Primary Vote.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">"<span style="font-style: italic;">In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It</span>." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/>