Jesse Jackson to deliver Edge Hill lecture

Nov 4 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

JESSE JACKSON, the last African American to stand for presidency before Barack Obama, will deliver a free public lecture in Merseyside next month.

The talk by the world famous human rights activist who stood for presidency in 1984 and 1988, will come in the aftermath of tonight’s US election.

Mr Jackson declared his support for Senator Obama in the primaries last March, and if Obama wins he will become the country’s first black president.

Front-runner Mr Obama and his Republican rival John McCain finished their final day of campaigning yesterday as they both aimed to become the 44th president of the United States.

Mr Obama could be the first African American to hold the office, while Mr McCain might bring the first female vice president to the White House in the shape of Republican running mate Sarah Palin.

“We are one day away from changing the United States of America,” Mr Obama told thousands of supporters yesterday.

“You can turn the page on policies that put greed and irresponsibility ahead of hard work and sacrifice.

Last night, the 47-year-old Illinois senator led Mr McCain by seven points in an average of national polls by RealClearPolitics.com and more than double the number of electoral college votes, 270 of which are needed to win the presidency and are considered to be safely in the hands of the Democrat than his rival.

In Tampa yesterday, Mr McCain told cheering supporters: “With this kind of enthusiasm and this kind of intensity, we will win Florida and we will win this race.”

Speaking ahead of the election yesterday, Joseph Femia, a political philosopher at Edge Hill University, said: “It’s difficult to predict but it seems as if Obama has a clear lead, but in the 2004 election John Kerry was ahead in the exit polls and lost.”

During his lecture at Edge Hill University on Monday, December 1, Mr Jackson will also focus on the relationship of economic justice and race.

Tickets for the event are free and can be reserved by calling the ticket line on 01695 65 0809 or by emailing clpsorg@edgehill.ac.uk

laurasharpe