Jackson focuses on racial, religious issues

Tuesday, October 27, 1998

Jackson focuses on racial, religious issues

SPEECH: Reverend shifts theme of speech from promotion of Prop.
209 to excluding non-Christians, people of all colors

By Jack Rosenfeld

Rev. Jesse Jackson, who spoke at UCLA on the second day of the
University of California-wide teacher walkout, was out of place and
out of line.

The walkout was to protest the passage of Proposition 209 as
well as two resolutions recently passed by the UC Regents – SP-1
and SP-2 – which ended racial and gender quotas, in essence ending
the use of affirmative action in the acceptance of students to the
UC system.

In Jackson’s speech, he involved the protesters by having them
repeat phrases that he was saying. This was a very inspirational
and motivating action on Jackson’s behalf. At first Jackson’s
phrases were very political and self-esteem building, which was the
purpose of the walkout.

Toward the end, however, Jackson lost touch with what he was
doing at UCLA – on the day that was meant for promoting racial
harmony on campus by bringing people of all races together to
protest the loss of affirmative action.

Jackson was on the correct track when he had the crowd repeat a
few times, "My vote, makes a difference!" Jackson helped build the
crowd’s self-esteem, but destroyed my self-esteem by his next
phrase. "Blacks and whites, are all Christians in God’s eyes!"

Who was Jackson trying to appeal to? Why didn’t he include
Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Atheists, Agnostics and other religions
of the world? Why didn’t he include Latinos, Chicanos, Asians,
Native Americans and every other type of person who make up the
population of UCLA and stand "in God’s eyes?" Not all blacks on
campus are Christian, not all whites on campus are Christian and
not all Christians on campus are black or white.

This statement destroyed my faith that Jackson’s intentions were
in the best interest of both the university and the protest. What
he asked the crowd to repeat did not belong in the venue of this
walkout.

Affirmative action was for under-represented minorities and
women. The minorities encompassed in the process were established
minorities based on the color of their skin and their family
background.

Affirmative action never worked to help out minorities in terms
of religion. Why should Reverend Jackson make the protest in favor
of affirmative action into a religious rally of the majority
religion?

The fight for affirmative action is a fight to tear down
barriers, but Jackson wants to replace these barriers with more
barriers. His actions imply that he wants to break down the
barriers only for blacks and not all minorities, and at the same
time put up barriers for non-Christian students by creating a
feeling of isolation in a school-wide protest that should benefit
all students.

By growing up in Los Angeles, attending a public high school and
UCLA, I have learned to be open-minded. Yet in a speech at UCLA,
Jackson only mentioned two of the world’s races. Affirmative action
was not only for blacks, but it was also to help out all
under-represented minorities and women.

What were Jackson’s intentions? Two people were holding objects
behind him. One was holding a poster on a wooden cross. The other
was holding a poster saying "Vote Barbara Boxer for the United
States Senate."

The cross was appropriate for Jackson, since he turned where he
was standing into a Christian pulpit. Jackson made the Barbara
Boxer sign out of place, by making it into a Christian gathering –
since she is a Jewish white woman and was obviously not included in
Jackson’s thoughts.

Jackson could learn a great deal from the late Mayor Tom
Bradley. Bradley opened doors not only to blacks, but also to all
people of all races and religions. But most importantly, Bradley
created a forum for blacks and Jews to come together to create
harmony.

Now Jackson discourages harmony near the end of what was
otherwise a good speech.

That one line that Jackson spoke completely discredited him from
speaking at this event. Tension between races is not as noticeable
as it has been in the past, but Jackson seemed to be creating
religious tension between students who are in favor of affirmative
action.

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