New leader of Jesse Jackson’s civil rights organization steps down less than 3 months on the job
By Sophia Tareen, The Associated Press on April 16, 2024.
CHICAGO (AP) – A Dallas pastor who took over leadership of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s longtime civil rights organization resigned Tuesday after less than three months on the job. The Rev. Frederick Haynes III told The Associated Press that he submitted his resignation as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition on Tuesday. Jackson announced in July that he would step down from the Chicago-based organization he founded more than 50 years ago, and he introduced Haynes as his successor. Haynes, the pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, was formally installed as president and CEO in a February ceremony in Dallas. He planned to lead the organization, which advocates for social justice and political activism, from Texas. Jackson – who was pivotal in the modern Civil Rights Movement – has faced numerous health issues in recent years and has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Still, the 82-year-old two-time presidential candidate hasn’t shied away from the public eye. Jackson appeared at a packed Chicago City Council meeting in January to support a controversial resolution for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. 8-7
