The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, will speak at a program to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Kenosha later this month.
Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow/Push Coalition, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner and Program on Jan. 30 at United Auto Workers Local 72 headquarters, 3615 Washington Road.
Anthony Davis, liaison for the Civil and Human Rights Committee of Local 72, said Jackson officially committed to speaking at the program after several inquiries.
“A couple of our board members in Detroit spoke with Rev. Jackson about coming to Kenosha, and we had just been sending letters to him ever since,” Davis said. “Every time one of our board members would see him, they would mention us.”
Jackson has never spoken at Kenosha’s program for King, though his son, Jesse Jackson Jr., was a previous keynote speaker for the UAW event.
Securing the elder Jackson for the King program has long been a target for Local 72, Davis said.
“We always sent letters out to him, but he has such a busy schedule,” Davis said. “We are overjoyed he is going to come and speak here.”
Davis said Jackson’s voice will especially resonate as the Kenosha Chrysler Engine Plant is set to close by the end of the year.
“He can speak to the political climate and the economic situation we are going through at this time,” Davis said. “The auto industry is going through some difficult times, and we’re hoping to get people to understand the importance of these jobs in the community and throughout the United States.”
Jackson’s visit comes 22 years after he visited Kenosha as it faced similar economic concerns. Jackson spoke to about 3,000 people in February 1988, during his presidential campaign, at a rally for the UAW as Chrysler was proposing to close the lakefront assembly plant.
The Rev. Joseph Lowery had previously been announced as the keynote speaker for the King program, but Davis said scheduling complications prevented him from speaking that night.
The King dinner and program begin at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets are only sold in advance. For more information, call 654-8606.
