The Rainbow PUSH Coalition recently welcomed Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III after civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson announced that he will no longer serve as president of the organization he founded decades ago.
In an official event held yesterday, the presidential role of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition was officially given to Dr. Haynes. Serving also as a celebration of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the event was attended by guests such as Vice President Kamala Harris.
Dedicated to fighting injustices, Dr. Haynes has been a notable figure in his community in Dallas as the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church. Along with working alongside local groups to help achieve economic justice, the new president has also helped fight against domestic violence and poverty.
“As a student of Rev. Jackson’s, I am honored to be selected for this prestigious and important position,” said Dr. Haynes in a statement. “The role Rainbow PUSH Coalition plays today is just as critical as it was in 1963, when the organization was founded.”
“Our communities need organizations like Rainbow PUSH to not only continue the fight for justice and equality, but to shepherd the next generation of advocates into the movement,” he added.
According to AP News, the now-former president Rev. Jackson announced that he will step down at the group’s yearly convention held on Saturday. Eight years ago, the civil rights activist was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In 2021, he suffered from a series of other health issues, including gallbladder surgery and a COVID-19 infection that hospitalized him.
According to the organization, Rev. Jackson’s decision to leave the presidential role comes as a result of his battle against Parkinson’s disease. Despite his latest announcement, Jackson will continue to remain a part of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and will not retire from activism, vowing to continue to fight against social injustices.
“I am looking forward to this next chapter where I will continue to focus on economic justice, mentorship, and teaching ministers how to fight for social justice,” said Jackson in a statement. “I will still be very involved in the organization and am proud that we have chosen Rev. Dr. Haynes as my successor.”
As a key figure of civil rights activism, Rev. Jackson began his fight against injustices as a student of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After serving as the first director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) Operation Breadbasket, Jackson officially founded what is now known as the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1971 after merging Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition.
For more than 50 years, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition has been actively working towards fighting for social change, leading initiatives like opening up more positions for BIPOC workers and opening up voting spaces.
