Jesse Jackson: Minorities need to unite during Trump Administration
By Audrey Rodríguez & Natalie Torres
Miami, Florida — Rev. Jesse Jackson called for minorities to continue the fight for civil rights progress despite the numerous hurdles during a Wednesday panel.
“Every time there’s a move forward, there’s a backlash,” he said.
The civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate sat down in front of a crowd of 1,000 journalists Wednesday as part of the Hispanicize 2017 conference held at the JW Marriott Marquis. Jackson, who was about 30 minutes late, received a standing ovation from the audience upon his arrival.
Jackson was interviewed by Claudia Gonzalez, UNICEF’s chief of public advocacy, to discuss an array of issues and topics that affect both black and Latino communities.
Those topics included the importance of protecting the right to vote, the 2016 presidential election and the growing influence of Latinos in the United States.
Jackson also focused on the progress minorities have made since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, the setbacks and the work that remains to be accomplished. He preached about the need for minorities to come together despite their differences.
“We have to be bound by common values, not just ethnicity,” he said.
Jackson also emphasized how important it is for Latinos and blacks to vote, especially in light of the 2016 presidential elections. He asked for minorities to fight stereotypes.
“The media portrays us as less intelligent, less hardworking, less universal and less patriotic,” Jackson said.
Latinos, especially, need to standup and be heard, Jackson said. In the election of President Donald Trump, Latinos played only a small role in the election despite the fact that they make up the majority of people of the hemisphere, he said.
“Our most current election was lost because black and brown votes were suppressed,” Jackson said.
The official hashtag for the Fire Side Chat was #AllTogetherNow — a motto that has been frequently used throughout the Hispanicize Event in an attempt to bring forth diversity, in addition to uniting the nation through our various ethnic backgrounds.
For more coverage on the Hispanicize Event 2017, follow Audrey Rodriguez (@Audrey_Rodri on Twitter and @AudreyRodriguez1914 on Instagram) and Natalie Torres (@Natkkim on Twitter and @Natalie__Torres on Instagram). Be sure to look for the #hispz17 and #NAHJhispz17 hashtags.
Audrey Rodriguez and Natalie Torres study broadcast journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder and are student project reporters for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in partnership with the Hispanicize event.
