The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson is one of America's foremost political figures. A key player in the civil rights movement, Jackson worked and campaigned alongside Dr Martin Luther King in the struggle for racial justice in the United States. He has enjoyed an iconic political career spanning decades, running for President twice, and playing a pivotal role in a plethora of movements for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, economic and social justice. Jackson has been called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier", challenging America to establish just and humane priorities. He is known for bringing people together in common ground across lines of race, class, gender, and belief. Ctrl.Alt.Shift's Eva Baker caught up with Jesse to talk poverty, environmental issues, and why young people are so important if we truly want to change the world...

When you were a young activist, you fought for racial justice. Do you think the flight for environmental justice is the defining challenge for today’s younger generation?

The fight for justice shouldn’t be limited to one thing only. You should fight for racial justice, and gender equality, workers rights and environmental security at the same time. If you have all your rights and you don’t have the right to breath free, or the water is undrinkable, all the other rights become part of the same thrust.

Why is it important that we engage young people in global and social issues, and how do we empower them to act?

Because young people must live in the world they create. We who fought to end racial injustice in the US as a matter of law now live in the world that we’ve created. Every generation must address the issues of its time, and use its power. The good news is that this generation has the right to vote; the right to universal education, and the right to march and protest. One of the great things about Britain and the US is that you have the right to protest and fight for what you believe in. So use your mind, use your vote, use your feet to march, and build coalitions.

What would be your message to today’s young activists?

Young activists must fight poverty in the world they’re growing up in. Poverty leads to fear, and those who are threatening stability prey upon the poor, the weak, the hungry and the ignorant. Use your power to fight for more education, more healthcare, more nutrition, and allow people to realise their fullest dream. If you are healthy in body, mind and spirit, you can realise your potential as a human being.

"If you have all your rights and you don’t have the right to breath free, or the water is undrinkable, all the other rights become part of the same thrust"

Why should the West focus on ending poverty in the developing world, and how do we go about doing it?

If the ‘haves’ do not feed the ‘have-nots’, we face the wrath of the ‘have-nots’ fighting back. It is not sound for fewer and fewer to have more and more, and for more and more to have less and less. We must be committed to fairly distributing resources. We are stewards, and we should be good stewards, and fair in our distribution. It’s obscene that we have an agriculture food surplus on the one hand, and hungry people on the other; that we have the capacity to go to the moon, and yet cannot afford people drinkable water. If we use our scientific skills in the correct way, we would be able to fight poverty, and eliminate it within our time. Ending poverty as we know it can happen in our generation.

"One of the great things about Britain and the US is that you have the right to protest and fight for what you believe in. So use your mind, use your vote, use your feet to march, and build coalitions"

Do you think there’s a proper sense of awareness in African communities around the world about the true state of poverty in Africa?

Most of the Western World sees Africa as a stereotype: through famines or acts of violence. This is the most endowed continent; you can get the US, Europe and China into Africa and have some land space left. It has the most riches, yet these riches have been exploited, and not for the ends of the people that live there. We should see Africa as a source of hope and a source of help, and embrace those who are there. If those children of Africa could get their fair share of education, they could not only rebuild Africa, but they could be a great asset to developing the rest of the world.

 

Words: Eva Baker

Photo: Christian Aid / Matthew Gonzalez-Noda