Jackson vows to continue push for MLK holiday

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In an interview with The Greenville News, Jackson said he and his supporters will organize another peaceful, multiracial protest at Tuesday's Greenville County Council meeting, where they will continue their crusade "until there is some appreciation of what Dr. King meant to Greenville County."

"It's embarrassing for our county to run around the country with some of this idea of secession," Jackson said. "It is a source of national embarrassment. People of Greenville County deserve better."

For weeks, Jackson and County Council members have grappled with the idea of establishing a formal holiday to honor King. Jackson and his supporters say such a move is imperative, one that not only would honor a great civil rights leader, but also would go further by finding common ground for a number of racial, social and economic issues.

County officials have balked, however, saying the cost of allowing employees to take the day off — an estimated $134,000 — is prohibitive. They said county employees have the option of taking a floating holiday to honor King.

County Council member Stephen Selby said "there are more important issues to resolve in the black community than creating a holiday" for King.

He added progress is being made and he's awaiting task force recommendations on how to resolve the holiday issue.

Jackson said Saturday that economic issues exist that go beyond a King holiday and call for united efforts "to move from a racial battleground to economic common ground, to moral higher ground."

Jackson said the nation's economy is struggling, U.S. manufacturing jobs — which have been important to South Carolina — are on the decline, teachers, doctors and nurses are underpaid and nearly every state faces deficit spending.

"We have a common interest in investment in Greenville. We have common interest in economic growth. We have a common interest in economic security," Jackson said.

"The new Greenville is not textiles of the world. It's high tech," he added. "It's international investment and the climate that we created by building bridges between north and south — between America and other countries — is how most people are eating now. So it shouldn't be difficult to get Greenville County to join the nation and not embrace some secessionist idea."

Staff writer Bob Montgomery contributed to this report.