Rev. Jesse Jackson Visits Montgomery
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The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke to students at Alabama State University Friday.
He told them the fight for voting rights is still going on today and students need to take responsibility for bringing change.
“Today we are facing an awesome backlash 50 years later. In this tug of war between saving the soul of America and redeeming it, you must not turn the rope loose. You don’t have the right really to not vote and expect results,” said Jackson.
Jackson stressed that the students need to be registered to vote not in their hometowns, but where they live right now.
Students we talked to say they were impressed with his speech.
“I’m actually going to register to vote here in Montogmery because I’m from Birmingham,” said student KAyla Thomas. “I was actually registered to vote in Birmingham. I feel we should vote where we live because that affects us because we are here in the city living in the city.”
“He is very well educated and speaks very articulated and I personally appreciate that. I’m a entrepreneur and that’s something I can take from him and project out in my future,” said Ra’mon Gordon.
Later in the day Jackson joined Senator Hank Sanders and others for a press conference.
Jackson is calling for an amendment to the Constitution after a Supreme Court decision in 2013 invalidated a section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
“We need an amendment to the constitution to firm positively the right to vote for all Americans. There’s an amendment for the right to bear arms. Amendment for freedom of speech but not the amendment for the right to vote constitutionally,” said Jackson.
The reverend also spoke out about poverty in the state, and the need he sees for medicaid in the state.
