NC TRIBUTES TO REV,
JESSE JACKSON, WHO
DIED AT AGE 84
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
“…[H]e called forth a rainbow coalition of people to challenge economic and social inequality from the pulpit [for two historic] presidential runs. He dared to keep hope alive whenever the nation struggled with being who she says she is and ought to be,” said Bishop William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach, in tribute to his mentor, the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr., who in recent years, marched and was arrested with Bishop Barber.
Rev. Jackson, renowned civil rights leader, disciple of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and known best for inspiring generations of young, Black and poor people with the phrases “I am somebody” and “Keep hope alive,” passed away Tuesday, Feb. 17th, after a prolonged chronic neurological illness. He was 84.
In a statement from Chicago, Rev. Jackson’s family said, “His unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless - from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote - leaving an indelible mark on history.”
Bishop Barber’s heartfelt tribute was one of many from North Carolinians who personally knew Rev. Jackson, or worked with him during the course of his civil rights career, or pioneering runs for the White House in both 1984 and 1988 that helped pave the way for the election of Barack Hussein Obama in 2008 as the first Black president of the United States.
In October, 1988, Rev. Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition held its first national convention at the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center where Jackson announced his second bid for the presidency. Even though Jackson was a native of Greenville, South Carolina, he had strong ties to North Carolina having graduated from N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro. The co-chairs of Rev. Jackson’s campaign in North Carolina were former Raleigh Mayor Clarence Lightner - to this day the only Black mayor in Raleigh history - and then Rep. Dan Blue, Jr.
Jackson ultimately came in second to Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis in the ’88 Democratic primaries, and should have at least been considered as a vice presidential nominee. He chose party unity instead. Many of North Carolina's black political leadership then felt that Rev. Jackson could have won North Carolina if the moderate wing of the NC Democratic Party, then led by Gov. Jim Hunt, hadn’t gotten behind Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee.
Still, Rev Jackson remained engaged, speaking out on behalf of the poor, and traveling the world as a champion of justice.
“I have spent the last 25 years, not as a perfect servant, but as a public servant,” he once told an audience. “My name has become known because I have served. That’s why I want to be president — to serve the American people.”
On Tuesday, the NC Democratic Party paid tribute to Rev. Jackson.
"The North Carolina Democratic Party joins the nation in the mourning of Reverend Jesse Jackson,” said NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton in a statement. “Jackson was a tireless advocate for voting rights, a courageous voice who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a voice who refused to be silent in the face of injustice.”
“We express our deep sadness at his passing and hope to uplift his memory by honoring his legacy. We honor him by continuing the fight for equal rights, by standing up for dignity and justice for all and by protecting the sacred right to vote for which he so fiercely advocated.”
One of Rev. Jackson’s strongest North Carolina supporters during his 1984 presidential campaign, former Congressman G. K. Butterfield, also paid tribute to his good friend.
One of today’s young NC political leaders also took time this week to honor the legacy of Rev. Jackson.
“We have lost a champion for equality and justice,” said Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC-2). “Now is the time to honor his legacy by redoubling our efforts and our energy.”
Rev. Jackson let his mark on the civil rights and social justice movements in a manner that will never be forgotten.
“Rev. Jackson was a man of his times as he was personally compelled by his birth and upbringing in “Jim Crow” South Carolina to engage in a life-long struggle to eradicate the presence and vestiges of racial discrimination and undemocratic segregation,” said civil rights attorney and NCCU School of Law Professor Irving Joyner.
“As a teenager, he tackled that “Jim Crow” battle in South Carolina and it propelled him to continue that struggle in Greensboro, throughout the America and around the world. In his teenage and early adult life, he was a leader on the football field where courage, wisdom and inspiration were necessary to his success, skills which provided the leadership that he was able to showcase in later in the many Civil Rights battles that he fought. His success as a leader speak for themselves and can’t be disputed or diminished. “
Prof. Jackson concluded, “At this moment, we celebrate and honor his life’s efforts and cherish what he meant to African Americans and to everyone in this nation.”
“Our father was a servant leader - not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world’s’ said the Jackson family. “We ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
Rev. Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; their children - sanity, Jesse, Jr., Jonathan. Yusef, Jacqueline; daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren.
Go to www.rainbowpush.org or www.jessejacksonlegacy.com for details of final arrangements for Rev. Jackson.
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OFFICIALS WARN OF FAKE
VOTER REGISTRATION
OFFICIALS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Now that early voting has begun across North Carolina, state election officials warn residents of gimmicks and scams that could compromise the integrity of their vote for the March 3rd primaries or November 3rd general elections. One of the most prominent scams is the fake voter registration official.
According to the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE), “Investigators…are looking into allegations of misconduct by individuals conducting voter registration drives, including that they are impersonating state or county government election officials.”
So far, those reports have been coming from Brunswick, Buncombe, Chowan, Haywood, Nash, Scotland, and Wake counties.
And there are reports of some of those fake voter registration officials actually going door-to-door supposedly “re-registering” people to vote.
NCSBE officials are very clear that it is not their practice to go door-to-door to re-register voters. It is not a crime for someone to come to your home to talk about voting, but it is a crime for them to portray themselves as a state or county government official if they’re not.
If ever someone comes to your door posing as a voting registration official, always ask to see their proper identification and make note of it so that it can be confirmed.
It is also a crime to falsify a voter registration form.
According to the NCSBE, “[False] voter registration applications turned into county boards of elections are missing required voter information or include inaccurate information, such as a wrong date of birth or a voter identification number different from what’s on file in the state election system. It is a Class I felony to falsify a voter registration form."
The practice has been going on for years, NCSBE officials say, and always picks up around election time.
NCSBE officials say the only time you’ll ever need to update your voter registration is if you move to a new county. Only then are you required to re-register your voter registration.
If you change your name, address within the same county or party affiliation, you “should submit a new voter registration application to update [your] voter record.” All of that can be done by mail or online.
Unless you are already at an officially designated early voting polling place, if you ‘re filling out voter registration forms (like during a voter registration drive), NCSBE officials advise that you keep those forms and deliver them to your county board of elections yourself. If everything is in order, your forms will be certified and you should receive notification in the mail that is addressed specifically to you afterwards that your voter registration is complete.
If there is something wrong with that notification card regarding the information contained about your voter registration information, call the state Board of Elections at (919) 814-0700 and ask for Investigations immediately to report it.
“The State Board will investigate all credible allegations of voter registration fraud by individuals or organizations,” said State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes. “When workers involved in voter drives falsify or alter information on registration forms, it can cause problems for innocent voters at the polls. This is unacceptable and hurts voter confidence.”
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ST. AUG STARTS NEW
ERA OF LEADERSHIP,
FRESH BEGINNINGS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
On February 4th, the Board of Trustees of St. Augustines University (SAU) proudly announced “…a renewed standard of leadership, accountability, and stewardship as the University prepares for the 2026–2027 academic year.”
Under the leadership of new Board Chairwoman Sophie Gibson - the first woman ever to lead the historically black Episcopalian institution - the board “…has taken deliberate actions to strengthen governance, ensure leadership continuity, and establish a clear framework for institutional renewal grounded in responsibility, transparency, and long-term sustainability,” stated a release from the school last week.
This new vision is in stark contrast to the well-publicized chaos SAU has experienced in recent years, with resulted not only in the school not able to pay its bills, but finding itself the target of several lawsuits from both former employees, and high-end vendors (including the federal government) for millions of dollars.
The ability of SAU to be able to manage this mounting adversity was called into question as the school lost its permanent academic accreditation (which SAU is presently in court fighting to regain) and the loss of a lion’s share of its student enrollment - from a average 1500 per academic year to as few as 200 students (if not less in the past two years, yielding a 2025 graduating class of just 25), and eliminating on-campus teaching to online instruction.
In the midst of all of those problems, were concerns about securing adequate loan funding to address outstanding debts, and how much of SAU’s valuable downtown property would have to be relinquished in order to satisfy the obligations.
And at the root of it all were serious questions about SAU’s Board of Trustees leadership and the direction they were taking the institution.
That has now changed with the election of SAU Chair Sophie Gibson, and her stated commitment to putting SAU’s troubled past behind it, and building fresh and strong toward a brighter future.
“We are building a Board with the experience and discipline required for this moment,” says Chair Gibson. “Our focus is on restoring stability, rebuilding trust, and positioning SAU for sustainable success. We welcome continued engagement from our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, faith partners, community leaders, institutional partners, and supporters of all kinds as we work together to secure a strong future for this historic institution.”
In December, the SAU Board appointed Dr. Jennie Ward-Robinson as the interim president not only to “…ensure executive leadership continuity during a period of institutional transition,” but to reestablish SAU “as a model for effective board-president collaboration.”
The SAU Board of trustees stress that the institution “remains operational and accredited,” albeit with remote classes which began on January 14th.
SAU has now secured long-term financial assistance from then non-profit group Self-Help, in addition to other financial partners, representing “…an important turning point for Saint Augustine’s University—one grounded in transparency, responsible stewardship, and a renewed commitment to serving students and preserving and strengthening SAU’s 159-year legacy.
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