Rainbow PUSH marches aim to combat violence

Rev. Jackson will lead the marches across the nation this weekend against the increase of murders the African-American communities...

TheGrio Staff

Jun 13, 2012

“Out with guns, in with jobs,” says civil rights activist and Rainbow Push Coalition leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Jackson will lead the marches across the nation this weekend against the increase of murders the African-American communities. The Charleston Gazette reports:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This Father’s Day weekend, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson will hold marches in 20 cities across America. But the protest isn’t aimed at Jackson’s usual targets: white racism or government policies favoring the rich.

Instead, it’s aimed at the horrible U.S. toll of pistol murders in black neighborhoods.

“Out with guns, in with jobs,” the human-rights crusader declared. He wrote:

“Each year, across the country, about 7,000 African-Americans are murdered, more than nine times out of 10 by other African-Americans. Far more African-Americans are killed on our streets than on foreign battlefields. If a foreign foe took these lives, we would mobilize armies and armadas to stop them. But here, because much of this violence is contained in racially concentrated neighborhoods, there is too much resignation and too little outrage.”

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