PHILADELPHIA — Jesse Jackson warned Muslim delegates to the Democratic National Committee on Thursday that he’s worried much more about inaction on the part of activists more than he is about a Donald Trump presidency.
“My fear now is not what Trump might do, it’s what we might not do,” the civil rights leader told the caucus.
“When I protect my neighbors house, I secure my house. I cannot secure my house if my neighbors house is in peril,” Jackson told the group. “Whoever decided to run [for the presidency] has to decide they have a coalition at the beginning. And that means if there’s a struggle in Philadelphia, you’re apart of that struggle too.”
Jackson spoke at length about his past work as a civil rights leader, and the prominence of discrimination in American society today. He cited unemployment, incarcertation and poverty among blacks in Philadelphia, and warned, “we’ve got to solve the pain of the hurting.”
The gathering of Muslim politicians, delegates and voters was the only one of its kind at either the Republican or Democratic Convention. Other speakers, such as Muslim Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, encouraged those in the room to run for local elected office, so that more Muslims could be represented in U.S. government.
Jackson officially endorsed Hillary Clinton while in Philadelphia this week, but he also encouraged Bernie Sanders supporters, telling them “the Bern must never go cold.”
