Jesse Jackson retires as head of the Rainbow PUSH civil rights coalition

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson is stepping down as head of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition he founded, according to comments he made during a recent broadcast.

Jackson, 81, has been a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States since 1960. He fought for the rights of black Americans and other minorities alongside his mentor, Martin Luther King Jr., and was there when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, 1968.

In a weekly broadcast, Jackson said he will “make the transition very soon,” reminding viewers he’s been active in the movement for 64 years, and said the new president will speak at the coalition’s annual convention this weekend.

The announcement of Jackson’s retirement from his leadership role comes after several health problems in recent years.

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is an amalgamation of “People United to Save Humanity,” a group founded by Jackson in 1971 to continue King’s work, and a coalition he formed after his first unsuccessful run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 .

Jackson ran again in 1988, winning several primaries and gaining traction among black and white liberal voters, but not enough to become the first black presidential candidate from a major party.

Source: Terra

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