Rev. Jesse Jackson expected in Houston as Keynote Speaker at HCC’s 2018 Black History Scholarship Gala

Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of America’s foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Jackson worked closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1960s.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson will be the keynote speaker at the 2018 Houston Community College Black History Scholarship Gala.

The gala will be held 6 p.m., Saturday, February 24, at the HCC West Houston Institute, 2811 Hayes Rd., Houston, TX 77082.

The West Houston Institute is a new, visionary facility comprised of state-of-the-art classrooms and conference spaces, all designed to serve as a real-world think tank and incubator for new methods of teaching, learning and exploring ideas.

Jackson will speak on this year’s gala theme: “The Politics Of.” Now in its 12th year, the HCC Black History Scholarship Gala raises funds for deserving HCC students.

Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of America’s foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Jackson worked closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1960s. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Jackson is a two-time presidential candidate, and has been credited with securing the release of hostages and political prisoners through diplomacy. He was ordained in 1968 and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.

In addition to Jackson’s speech, other prominent leaders in Houston’s business, education, sports, entertainment and political communities will be recognized with Lifetime Achievement Awards and Unstoppable Leadership honors at the scholarship gala.

Jackson, American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician, who was also  a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 has been known for commanding public attention since he first started working for Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, Jackson participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches organized by James Bevel, King and other civil rights leaders in Alabama. Impressed by Jackson’s drive and organizational abilities, King soon began giving Jackson a role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), though he was concerned about Jackson’s apparent ambition and attention-seeking.  When Jackson returned from Selma, he was charged with establishing a frontline office for the SCLC in Chicago.

Houston Community College (HCC) is composed of 15 Centers of Excellence and numerous satellite centers that serve the diverse communities in the Greater Houston area by preparing individuals to live and work in an increasingly international and technological society. HCC is one of the country’s largest singly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities. To learn more, visit www.hccs.edu.

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