On today, Friday, January 13, 2017, at 10:10 a.m., FAMU will host
its annual MLK Convocation at Jake Gaither Gymnasium. The keynote speaker will
be Jonathan Jackson, an accomplished businessman, educator, and social justice
advocate, who is also the son of Civil Rights activist Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a
friend of Dr. King.
“We are honored to have Mr. Jonathan Jackson address the
FAMU community during our annual observance and celebration of Dr. King’s great
impact,” said Interim President Larry Robinson. “Mr. Jackson’s contributions to
social justice, education, and business are impressive and inspiring. We are
excited to learn about and from his experiences.”
Robinson added, “Dr. King’s life and work represented an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all people, no matter race, color, or creed, have access to the American dream. The FAMU community is humbled to have another opportunity to honor his legacy with our annual convocation and service projects.”
Jackson’s advocacy and business savvy have taken him around
the world. He has met with heads of state throughout the world, including
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe
and Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Notably, in 1983, Jackson traveled to Syria with his father
to secure the successful release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert
Goodman. In June 1984, Jackson, once again, flanked his father as he negotiated
the release of 22 Americans being held in Cuba after an invitation by Cuban
President Fidel Castro. On the eve of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Jackson
traveled with Rev. Jackson to meet with Iraq President Saddam Hussein to
negotiate the release of foreign nationals being held as a “human shield.”
Alongside his siblings, Jonathan campaigned for his father’s
presidential bids in 1984 and 1988. Since that time, he has continued to
support his father’s work as a national spokesman for the Rainbow PUSH
Coalition. He can regularly be seen on Saturday mornings on the Rainbow PUSH TV
show and cable TV’s worldwide show “Upfront with Jesse Jackson.”
In 2009-2010, Jackson successfully fought the closure of 16
Chicago Public Schools, causing the district to reverse plans that would
destabilize communities. In 2016, Jackson served as a Democratic National
Committee delegate for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, traveling to 30 cities
advocating for the presidential candidate’s platform of economic and social
justice.