Jesse to Pfleger: “You’re a Champion” ‘You Are Special to Us’

By Chinta Strausberg

 

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., Sunday attended service at Saint Sabina, which included the eighth grade Saint Sabina Academy graduation, where he called Father Michael L. Pfleger “a champion who is “very special to us.”

And, Pfleger thanked Jackson for his support and encouragement when he was “going through my time out.”

Pfleger was referring to his four-week suspension by Cardinal Francis George who had misinterpreted what he said on the Tavis Smiley show. The Cardinal thought Pfleger had said if he is removed from Saint Sabina, then he would go outside of the church.

“I thank God for the folks like Rev. Jackson who called and encouraged me, said what can I do for you. How can I support you? He even said come over to PUSH we’ll have a Pfleger Day. I said, ‘I’m trying to get a Pfleger Day at Saint Sabina, to get back there.’  I thank him for his friendship and his consistency over the years,” said Pfleger.

Jackson said, “It is a special joy to stop by and be with you today, my family, and to be with my prophetic brother.  God has blessed Father Pfleger beyond measure.

“And, every stumbling block is a stepping-stone. No test. No testimony. You get your stars from the scars. Though you slay me yet will I trust you because I know my redeemer lives. There is nothing too hard for God.

“We fall down sometimes.  We’re knocked down sometimes. We’re tripped up sometimes. We get back up again and again and again because the ground is no place for a champion. He’s a champion. Father Pfleger is a champion,” Jackson bellowed.

Jackson added,  “Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith and in the end faith will prevail.

“There are no untouched prophets. There are no unscarred prophets. There is a beheaded John. There is a crucified Jesus. They shot down Martin Luther King, Jr. There are no prophets without scars but those are the measurement of  worth of your ministry. We thank you. We appreciate you. We love you. You are special to us, Father Pfleger,” said Jackson.

Jackson announced that on June 18-22nd, he is holding his 40th annual conference of the Rainbow PUSH coalition and Citizenship Education Fund. The theme this year is “A More Perfect Union: Closing the Gap,” and is being held at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL.

He asked the congregation if they knew someone who is either in foreclosure or behind in their rent. He then asked if they knew somebody who is looking for a job, or if they knew anyone who was in debt “and can’t make ends meet.”

“This is what makes Father Pfleger different,” said Jackson. “He speaks to these issues. What made Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  different was not eloquence. There are a lot of eloquent preachers around but you have to take the risk to change peoples’ objective condition.  It’s easy to preach the funeral of a shot person.  It’s hard to stop a person from being shot in the first place.

“Father Pfleger does not settle for preaching funerals of children who are shot. He tries to stop from being shot in the first place…. The funeral is a painful, pitiful ceremony, but we got to end the funerals. Extend life by stopping the gunshots,” said Jackson fondly calling Pfleger “Bishop, Pentecostal, Reverend, Priest, Father Pfleger.

Referring to his conference, Jackson said on Saturday, June 18th, he is focusing on the attempt to take back the voting rights.  “If you ‘re a senior, they want you to show your birth certificate in 34 states. If you don’t have a birth certificate, you have to buy one,” said Jackson labeling that law a “poll tax, if you’re on fixed income.”

He said students would have to show a student ID card. “You have to buy a government voter ID card. That’s a poll tax,” he said accusing lawmakers of trying to deny the poor and students the right to vote.

“You have 5.5 million blacks do not have their drivers license and that is another burden. If you cut the vote by 10 percent, President Barack cannot win. Kennedy beat Nixon by 110,000 votes, one vote per precinct. Bush and Dole got more white votes than Clinton. He (Clinton) got more white, black and brown and he won. That is what 10 percent means,” said Jackson. “Bush took the election” by 600 votes….”

Jackson is holding a rally that Saturday on laying off teachers while taking away the vote.

On Sunday, June 19th, Jackson said he is holding a “mass looking for a job rally.” That night, he is holding the Clay Evans Gospel Concert including Kim Stratton, Jennifer Holiday and others.  He will have the preachers dancing with the stars.

Other conference topics being discussed on Saturday, June 18th, which will be held at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, 930 E. 50th St., where a Walgreens health screening van will be parked on Drexel Street, will be discussions on “Chaos to Community…Where Do We Go From Here? State’s Rights: Civil Rights Under Attack.”

Other topics being discussed Saturday include the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Innocence Project headed by Jonathan Jackson, who is the national spokesperson for PUSH.

There will be a press conference held at 12:15 p.m. followed by a PUSH Breadbasket Reunion (Barbeque) on the back lawn of the PUSH Coalition.

On Sunday, June 19th, from 1:30 pm. To 3:30 p.m., there will be a discussion of “The Black Male Crisis,” and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. the Clay Evans Gospel Concert will be held.

On Monday, June 20th, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., an international plenary –The Global Village’ will be held at the Chicago Hilton & Towers.

There will be a 10 a.m. press conference.

Other topics for Monday include from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., a discussion on Supplier Diversity Roundtable Discussion, from 10 am to 11:30 a.m., Session I – Does market Share Translate into Representation? Also being discussed from 10 a.m.  to 11:30 a.m. will be Session II: Comcast NBC Universal Acquisition…. What it Means. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a career opportunity and development expo.

From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a business luncheon and from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., session I will be held on African Americans on Corporate Boards. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Franchise Ownership session will be held. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Macy’s Supplier Diversity Panel discussion will be held. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Session I –Education Roundtable: Closing the Achievement Gap will be held.

From 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., there will be a Coca-Cola opening reception, and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the PUSH Excel Scholarship gala will be held.

On Tuesday, June 21st at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., there will be a labor breakfast and from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. a discussion on the Credit Crisis: Creating Alternatives to Banks. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. there will be a labor session, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a Career Opportunity and Development Expo.

From 10 am. To 4 p.m.,  Session II – Home Foreclosure Prevention workshop will be held followed by a 12 noon to 2:30 p.m., Minister’s luncheon. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Session I –Training the Trainer: Financial literacy for Pastors will be held.

From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Session II – March Madness/May Sadness will be held followed by Session III –Hip Hop Summit.  From 7 p.m. to 9 pm., an Athletic Banquet will be held.

On Wednesday, June 22nd at the Chicago Hilton & Towers, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., a health plenary –The Link Between Obesity and Cancer, and from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., there will be a health screening, education and prevention. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., a discussion on “Live Positively: Proper Nutrition” will be held. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Session I for Veterans Affairs Panel discussion, and from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m., there will be a Women’s Luncheon.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host.

 Photo: Chinta Strausberg