>>> THE OFFICIAL HANDOFF OF RAINBOW PUSH COALITION LEADERSHIP FROM THE REVEREND JESSE JACKSON SR. TO THE REVEREND HAYNES HAPPENED TODAY.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> THAT THE MISSION AND VISION OF RAINBOW PUSH IS NEEDED IN 2023 AS MUCH AS IT WAS NEEDED IN 1973.

>> JOINING US NOW IS REVEREND FREDERICK HAYNES THE THIRD, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF RAINBOW PUSH COALITION.

REVEREND, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE CONGRATULATIONS.

>> SO IT IS OFFICIAL.

LET'S START WITH WHAT IT IS LIKE FOR YOU TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF A MAN LIKE REVEREND JESSE JACKSON SENIOR!

>> I WOULD SAY IT IS AWE-INSPIRING AND IN SOME WAYS IT IS INTIMIDATING, KNOWING THAT HE IS A LIVING LEGEND AND ICON FOR DECADES AND HAS LITERALLY CHANGED THE WORLD AND OUR NATION.

IT IS HARD TO FIND AN AREA THAT HAS NOT BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS, SO THAT IS ENOUGH RIGHT THERE.

BUT THE FACT THAT IT IS JESSE JACKSON IS ALSO INSPIRING.

I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NO WAY I COULD FILL HIS SHOES AND STAND ON HIS TALL AND STRONG SHOULDERS.

>> OBVIOUSLY A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS POSITION THAT APPEALED TO YOU?

>> IN MY OWN LIFE I HAVE FELT A STRONG CALLING TO THE MOVEMENT FOR FREEDOM AND JUSTICE.

OUR MINISTRY HAS REFLECTED THAT.

I HAVE THEN HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A PROT÷G÷ OF REVEREND JACKSON.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HIM.

ONE OF MY UNOFFICIAL DEGREES WAS STUDIED AT THE UNIVERSITY UNDER JACKSON.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT SOMETHING I EVER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN OR DREAMT WOULD HAPPEN, WHEN HE APPROACHED ME ABOUT IT I HAD TO BE PRAYERFUL AND REFLECTIVE, AND EVENTUALLY I FELT IT WAS SOMETHING IN KEEPING WITH WHAT I FEEL CALLED TO DO.

>> I'M SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF STUDENTS, YOURSELF INCLUDED.

YOU JUST MENTIONED IT, ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK YOU HAVE DONE.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND HOW IT WILL APPLY TO THE NEW RULING.

>> NUMBER ONE, REVEREND JACKSON HAS BEEN WELL KNOWN FOR HIS PURSUIT OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND ALL THE WORK HE HAS DONE IS WE HAVE STOOD AGAINST ECONOMIC PREDATORS THAT HAVE TARGETED COMMUNITIES THAT WERE ALREADY SUFFERING.

WE HAVE TESTIFIED BEFORE CONGRESS.

IN THAT REGARD, REVEREND JACKSON HAS ALSO BEEN KNOWN FOR HIS MASSIVE PHOTO REGISTRATION, SO WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF THAT.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE DONE IT IN DALLAS IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE ENGAGED IN VOTER EDUCATION AND MOBILIZATION.

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE WORK OF RAINBOW PUSH.

I COULD GO ON AND ON.

BUT HAVING STUDIED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JESSE JACKSON, I CONFESS THAT SO MUCH OF HIS INFLUENCE HAS INFORMED AND SHAPED MY MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH.

>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR RAINBOW PUSH.

>> REVEREND JACKSON HAS GIFTED US WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION THAT IS ALSO A BLUEPRINT MOVING FORWARD.

SO WE WILL, ON THE ONE HAND, BE ENGAGED IN RESPONDING TO THOSE IN JUSTICE EMERGENCIES THAT POP UP.

REVEREND JACKSON HAS A TRACK RECORD OF LEVERAGING HIS MORAL AUTHORITY IN SITUATIONS OF INJUSTICE AND HEALING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED BY THE INJUSTICE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME CONFRONTING AND CHALLENGING PERPETRATORS OF THE INJUSTICE.

SO THAT WILL BE A CONSTANT IN OUR FIGHT.

AS LONG AS INJUSTICE IS ANYWHERE, WE WILL FIND OURSELVES THERE.

AT THE SAME TIME, RAINBOW PUSH HAS A TRACK RECORD OF FIGHTING FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND FIGHTING FOR ECONOMIC INJUSTICE IN ALL FORMS.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE THAT IN THAT SPACE.

IT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN BREADBASKET, WHICH BEGAN ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, 50 YEARS AGO, MAKING SURE THAT CORPORATIONS TREAT OUR BUSINESSES RIGHT AND THAT THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CELEBRATION.

IN TULSA, A JUDGE IGNORED THE PLIGHT OF THOSE SURVIVORS OF TRAUMA AND TERROR THERE AND IGNORED THE JUSTICE CRY FOR REPARATIONS .

WE BELIEVE IN REPARATIONS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SURVIVED A CYCLE OF TERROR AND TRAUMA.

>> AND REVEREND ?

>> SO WE WILL BE DEALING WITH THEM.

>> WE HAVE ABOUT 20 SECONDS LEFT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE NOT PLANNING TO MOVE TO CHICAGO.

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO SPLIT YOUR TIME BETWEEN TWO CITIES, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION?

>> WE KNOW THAT DALLAS WILL REMAIN A HUB WHILE CHICAGO WILL REMAIN IMPORTANT.

RAINBOW PUSH