Jackson seeks to build coalition to fight for King holiday, against poverty

Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks with the Rev. Caesar Richburg at Allen Temple AME Church. TANYA ACKERMAN / Staff e-mail this story to a friend

"We're going to build a mass movement in this city, county and across this state, a mass action taking on economic justice across this state," Jackson said in an interview at Allen Temple AME Church.

The Greenville native, who broke his foot while walking down some stairs in San Francisco Friday, hobbled on crutches to the church's altar from a back room. Despite the pain from his injury, Jackson delivered a 45-minute sermon Sunday that frequently drew applause and "amens" from the more than 300 people who attended.

State Rep. Fletcher Smith, D-Greenville, has filed legislation that would require all 46 of the state's counties to observe the King holiday on the third Monday of January.

He said the bill has been forwarded to the House Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member. A public hearing could he held on it this week, Smith added.

The Greenville County Council's Public Safety committee, which oversees administrative issues, will consider at its meeting today whether to send the proposal for a paid King holiday to the full council, Councilwoman Xanthene Norris said Sunday.

Norris last fall introduced the proposal for a paid holiday for county employees. It has been in the Public Safety committee ever since.

"These technical maneuvers will not outlast our principal struggle. ... No matter how many little side meetings they (council members) have, the issue is to honor Dr. King's holiday," said Jackson, who also visited Bethlehem Baptist Church in the southern part of the county Sunday.

Jackson, along with 250 people, appealed for the holiday nearly two weeks ago in front of the Greenville County Council.

He plans to appear again Tuesday as part of his four-day state tour to promote a Rainbow/Push Coalition chapter in South Carolina. He said he wants the chapter to have 1,000 members in Greenville.

"I hope those county board members will not see this as a threat, but see it as therapy. It's good for the healing of Greenville. Greenville need not make news as going against the grain of the entire country," Jackson said.

Rev. Caesar Richburg, pastor at Allen Temple, said the church would attend every council meeting until a King holiday is created.

But Jackson emphasized again and again that the black community needs to fight for economic justice for the poor in addition to a King holiday. He said he plans to meet with banks and other financial institutions to discuss enhanced lending programs for the poor.

"We're not going to get sidetracked on all the issues of symbolic resistance. We're going to focus on these issues on one hand, and focus on the issue of economic security," Jackson said after his sermon.

Sarah G. Bonnette covers Greenville County and growth issues. She can be reached at 298-4297.