The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., one of America’s foremost political figures, will help Northwestern’s voter registration drive by encouraging student political participation at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Ryan Family Auditorium.
Jackson, president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a group working to create social, racial and economic justice, was invited to speak by NU’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. NU NSCS President John Broach said the group finalized plans with Jackson this past weekend.
“NSCS is especially glad that we’re able to bring Jesse Jackson at a time when it can be beneficial to other student initiatives, such as the (Associated Student Government) voter registration drive currently underway,” said Broach, a Speech junior.
During New Student Week, ASG began registering students to vote on the buses in transit to the President’s Convocation. In addition, ASG, the College Democrats, Delta Sigma Theta, the Public Affairs Residential College and various individual students have set up tables on the ground floor of Norris University Center to register students.
The tables will be set up again from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Monday.
ASG also will invite students to register at Jackson’s speech.
“Jesse Jackson is such an influential man and such an amazing speaker,” ASG President Adam Humann said. “Him stressing the significance of voting will only help get more students to register.”
Jackson has emphasized the importance of voter registration throughout his political career. He campaigned for the Democratic Party’s presidential bid in 1984 and 1988 and registered more than three million voters during his campaigns. The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition considers voter registration one of its most important issues.
College Democrats has been working with ASG in its voter registration drive, trying to register liberal voters at meetings, said Courtney Brunsfeld, the group’s president.
“I am always glad to have influential, powerful people speaking on the Democrat side,” said Brunsfeld of Jackson.
College Republicans also is glad to see Jackson come to campus.
“We’re happy he’s coming,” said Weinberg junior Ezra Church, College Republicans’ vice president for campus relations. “We want everyone to vote, no matter which way they lean.”
The voter registration drive will not end with Jackson’s speech. ASG plans to set up a table at Fall Fest on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the fraternity quads.
ASG members will register Greek chapters Monday and might go door to door in the dorms to register students if ASG has enough manpower, said Humann, a Weinberg senior.
ASG is giving the registration drive priority because “voting is the basis of all political activity,” Humann said, adding that he hopes the drive will impact local politics long after the presidential election is over.
“I’m trying to get (students) to register to vote in Evanston so that we can claim a voice in Evanston politics that we’ve not yet had,” he said.
