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CHICAGO (April 18, 2005) – Addressing some of the most controversial but relevant issues in America – from the renewal of the Voting Rights Act to the failure of college sports programs to graduate their players – the RainbowPUSH Coalition and the Citizenship Education Fund also echo the nation's Founding Fathers and look to more recent historical giants in the 34th Annual Conference, “A More Perfect Union: Building on the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson.” The conference, an event where the RainbowPUSH seeks to take action on many of the key issues it addresses during the year, will be held June 11 through 16, 2005, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, 301 E. Water St. in downtown Chicago.
A stellar array of guests scheduled to appear during the conference includes, from the political arena, Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Barack Obama (D-IL) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters D-Calif.); and from the religious, entertainment and business arenas, Nation of Islam Leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; and prominent business executives Cathy Hughes and Earl Graves.
Harvard University Professor Dr. Charles Ogletree, University of Pennsylvania’s outstanding scholar Michael Eric Dyson and television's Judge Greg Mathis (chair of the PUSH/Excel board) have also agreed to participate in discussions and programs during the conference. Performers invited to appear in a hip-hop showcase on Wednesday evening, June 15, include Marques Houston, the popular television and film actor who is also a top R&B singer. A Monday evening tribute to Chicago's legendary Herb Kent, the Cool Gent, will also feature Chicago-style stepping dance lessons for all.
Panels and discussions during the conference will explore issues including voting rights, labor organizing in a hostile climate, access for all to quality healthcare and education, and fair business opportunities for people of color. Daily themes of the conference are: Sunday, The Federally Protected Right to Vote; Monday, Labor Day: The Right to Organize; Tuesday, The Right to Healthcare of Equal High Quality; Wednesday, Business Day: Access to Capital; and Thursday, The Right to Education of Equal High Quality.
The conference officially opens on Saturday, June 11, which is designated Reunion Day and features an afternoon picnic at the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters, and evening social.
With the conference highlighting renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Sunday’s focus on protecting and preserving the franchise takes on special importance, said Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., founder and president of the RainbowPUSH Coalition. "As we look to the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protecting the fragile rights we hold dear, we acknowledge the courageous leadership of two men who led this nation to that landmark legislation as part of a grand vision of a better America -- one that would truly be the land of opportunity for all," Rev. Jesse L. Jackson said.
Starting on Monday, June 13, all sessions, official meals and banquets, and socials will be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.
The RainbowPUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the RainbowPUSH Coalition, please visit the organization’s website, www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366. To schedule an interview with Rev. Jackson on this topic, please call one of the numbers listed above.
A stellar array of guests scheduled to appear during the conference includes, from the political arena, Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Barack Obama (D-IL) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters D-Calif.); and from the religious, entertainment and business arenas, Nation of Islam Leader Minister Louis Farrakhan, activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte; and prominent business executives Cathy Hughes and Earl Graves.
Harvard University Professor Dr. Charles Ogletree, University of Pennsylvania’s outstanding scholar Michael Eric Dyson and television's Judge Greg Mathis (chair of the PUSH/Excel board) have also agreed to participate in discussions and programs during the conference. Performers invited to appear in a hip-hop showcase on Wednesday evening, June 15, include Marques Houston, the popular television and film actor who is also a top R&B singer. A Monday evening tribute to Chicago's legendary Herb Kent, the Cool Gent, will also feature Chicago-style stepping dance lessons for all.
Panels and discussions during the conference will explore issues including voting rights, labor organizing in a hostile climate, access for all to quality healthcare and education, and fair business opportunities for people of color. Daily themes of the conference are: Sunday, The Federally Protected Right to Vote; Monday, Labor Day: The Right to Organize; Tuesday, The Right to Healthcare of Equal High Quality; Wednesday, Business Day: Access to Capital; and Thursday, The Right to Education of Equal High Quality.
The conference officially opens on Saturday, June 11, which is designated Reunion Day and features an afternoon picnic at the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters, and evening social.
With the conference highlighting renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Sunday’s focus on protecting and preserving the franchise takes on special importance, said Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., founder and president of the RainbowPUSH Coalition. "As we look to the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, protecting the fragile rights we hold dear, we acknowledge the courageous leadership of two men who led this nation to that landmark legislation as part of a grand vision of a better America -- one that would truly be the land of opportunity for all," Rev. Jesse L. Jackson said.
Starting on Monday, June 13, all sessions, official meals and banquets, and socials will be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.
The RainbowPUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the RainbowPUSH Coalition, please visit the organization’s website, www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366. To schedule an interview with Rev. Jackson on this topic, please call one of the numbers listed above.