Rev. Jesse Jackson pushes for automatic voter registration during Memphis visit
The Rev. Jesse Jackson returned to Memphis this week for the National Bar Association convention.
On Wednesday, Jackson spoke on a National Bar Association panel about civil rights and election protection, following a visit to The Commercial Appeal newsroom to discuss his work with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and automatic voter registration.
The National Bar Association — the oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and judges — is holding its 97th annual convention in Memphis this year. It kicked off Sunday and runs through Friday.
During the panel discussion, Jackson discussed automatic voter registration — registering voters when they interact with government agencies, while also touching on the number of unregistered voters in the South and conflict resolution. He spoke about the importance of every high school senior knowing a few important things, including which precinct their school is in and who their congressman is.
"We're changing America," said Jackson, a distinguished partner of the association. "It seems slow sometimes, it is slow sometimes."
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Before the panel discussion, Jackson visited The Commercial Appeal and was joined by CK Hoffler, Jackson's lawyer and former president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition — a human and civil rights organization founded by Jackson.
Most recently, Jackson has been on a tour across five states, speaking with citizens about voter registration and education.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition has put a special emphasis on automatic voter registration.
"Right to citizenship is the right to vote," Jackson said. Encouraging young voters to be informed and engage with the decisions being made on their behalf, he asks them if they know: "What precinct are you in? What council district are you in? Who is your congressional representative?"
Jackson also discussed equipping young Black people with basic education in literacy and conflict resolution and creating alternative pathways out of poverty for young Black people other than athletics, including the sciences.
Finally, Jackson spoke briefly about the overturning of Roe v. Wade and imposing term limits on the Supreme Court justices.
"This group has the power to ruin our democracy," he said. "States' rights can also be states' wrongs."
Jackson had visited Memphis in April to commemorate the 54th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
Astrid Kayembe covers South Memphis, Whitehaven and Westwood. She can be reached at astrid.kayembe@commercialappeal.com, (901) 304-7929 or on Twitter @astridkayembe_.