RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners honoring Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Senior on his decades of service with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Body
WHEREAS, on July 16, 2023, it was announced that the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Senior would be transitioning from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and move to an emeritus position; and
WHEREAS, founded in 1971 by Reverend Jackson, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity later known as People United to Serve Humanity), a Chicago-based social justice organization, underscored the necessity of improving economic conditions in Black communities throughout the United States. Operation PUSH demanded stronger support of Black owned and operated businesses, sought to increase Black employment at large corporations, and subsidized educational experiences for Black children through PUSH for Excellence (also known as PUSH Excel); and
WHEREAS, established separately in 1984 by Reverend Jackson, the National Rainbow Coalition advocated for equal rights for all Americans, sought greater financial investment by the government and corporations in minority communities, demanded social justice programs, and pursued enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and
WHEREAS, in 1996, under Reverend Jackson’s leadership, Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition merged to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition promotes social and economic justice, encourages minority employment at large establishments, champions the value of the minority vote, influences foreign policy, emphasizes the value of education, and endorses peace and equality throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson’s protégé, the Reverend Doctor Frederick Douglass Haynes III, succeeded Reverend Jackson as Chief Executive Officer of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and its headquarters will remain in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, a dedicated civil rights activist and politician, Reverend Jackson is known for his passionate addresses, catchy slogans, and unapologetic honesty. Reverend Jackson’s leadership of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition established him as an influential leader whose place in the history of this country will not be forgotten; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and our staff, do hereby honor Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Senior on his decades of service with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Senior.
Dated: February 15, 2024