Jackson: South has unfinished business on racial equality

e-mail this story Related Previous coverage • Youths recruited for civil rights march • NAACP members from five states to join King holiday demonstration in Greenville

The Greenville-born civil rights leader also said he will begin seeking an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would mandate "high quality public education for all children."

Jackson said glaring injustices faced by minorities and poor people of all races are "symbolized by Greenville County Council refusing to pass the holiday. We know that once we deal with the King holiday, then we'll deal with the King legacy (of) equal opportunity for all Americans and if you look at the investment in kids in our state, whether white, black or brown, all should be guaranteed an equal and high quality education. That's ultimately going to require a Constitutional amendment."

With the march keyed to the 49th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed school segregation, Jackson said, "For the South, we must revisit the '54 decision (because) its mission has largely been unfulfilled. The premise of that decision was to remove racial factors contributing to that equality."

"We open a new chapter in the struggle," he said, one that will include equal access to health care, environmental safety and protection under the law from "vicious prosecutors and insensitive judges" who have imprisoned black males at a rate far in excess of their proportion of the population.

Saturday's "dignity march," as Jackson called it, has targeted County Council's action in rejecting a formal, paid holiday in favor of allowing county employees to vote each year on which five floating holidays they will take off.

The holiday was supported by a coalition of local business, religious and political leaders.

While the city of Greenville and most Upstate municipalities have joined the state in adopting the King holiday, Greenville is one of only three South Carolina counties that do not recognize the observance.

Although some Greenville black leaders, including the Rev. Donald Ray Smith, have questioned the march, the Rev. Paul Guy, local NAACP president, said the organization is fully supportive.

Jackson said the march comes 16 years after President Reagan signed the federal King holiday bill into law "and so we're really 16 years behind the nation. The secessionist attitude will not change with our waiting."

He said council's action was "an act of open defiance and radical disregard for the New South. We will continue challenging Greenville County to join the state and the nation on the King holiday."

The 1 p.m. march from the county courthouse to County Square will follow a morning Armed Forces Day parade along Greenville's Main Street. Jackson declined to make a turnout prediction, but said that he will be joined by NAACP leader Kwesei Mfume and church, environmental and labor groups.

Jackson said he plans a Thursday afternoon press conference in Greenville to be followed by a statewide tour ending Friday evening in Columbia.

He did not elaborate on his idea for a Constitutional amendment mandating high quality public education for all children. Amendments require ratification by three-fourths of the 50 states.

Jackson's remarks came in a conference call with print and broadcast reporters in the region.

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Dan Hoover covers politics and can be reached at 298-4883.