Dec. 26, 2011
Rev. Jesse Jackson Celebrated Abroad, Receives Honorary Degree from De Montfort University
Civil Rights Icon Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is bestowed with an honorary degree from De Montfort University in Leicester for his international human and civil rights efforts. In this photo, he poses with Professor Dominic Shellard, vice chancellor. PHOTO: Butch Wing
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from De Montfort University Leicester
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., revered by millions as one of the world’s greatest civil rights leaders, has received an honorary degree from De Montfort University.
He was honored during a special ceremony at the 12th century St Mary De Castro Church, which is adjacent to the university campus in Leicester.
After receiving his award, known as “the great unifier”, told students: “I want you to face whatever challenges come your way, but have the mind to think it through. Have the courage of your convictions, see people as they are, have character, measure who you lift up, not how you climb. It is good to know, but even better to care. Keep your hopes alive and go forward with those hopes. Never go backwards because of your fears.”
He received a standing ovation lasting several minutes from an audience of more than 200 students, staff and people from the city of Leicester. There was then a performance by the DMU Gospel Choir before Jackson’s daughter Santita gave a moving rendition of an old Gospel song.
The Right Hon Keith Vaz MP opened the proceedings with a speech in which he praised Rev. Jackson for being one of the world’s great leaders and told the audience he would be putting Rev. Jackson’s name forward for a Nobel Peace Prize.
He added: “Martin Luther King’s famous dream has come alive and been kept alive by Rev. Jackson. Reverend Jackson, you have many, many friends here in Leicester and the rest of the country and we hope this honor will serve to create an even more unbreakable bond between you and the people of Leicester.”
De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard then delivered a citation, telling the audience about Rev. Jackson’s 50 years of campaigning for civil rights in the U. S. and abroad.
Professor Shellard chose a quote from Jackson’s speech to the 1988 Democrat Convention when he put his name forward to run for president: “The only justification for looking down on someone is when you stop and pick them up.”
Professor Shellard said, “While we face the threat of a double dip recession, a collapsing Euro, protestors making a stand against oppression, inequality and poverty around the world, we should not lose sight of the fact that we are all one human race, we are no less a person than anybody else. In times of trouble, we need to support one another, pick one another up and, to use one of Reverend Jackson’s most famous phrases, ‘Keep Hope Alive’.”
Jackson responded, “I am honored to receive this award today. It is here to serve the higher purposes of the university which is that you, as young people, come along and have the power to change the world and make the world a better place.”
Jackson had spent the day at the university taking part in a national Home Affairs Select Committee conference in which he was the keynote speaker on the theme of Roots of Violent Radicalization.
The conference was attended by MPs from the select committee, as well as representatives from universities, prisons, the police, the probation service, religious organizations and think tanks.
The findings from the conference will be used by the select committee to inform the Government’s Prevent strategy, which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
During his keynote address to the conference, Jackson had used a football analogy to explain how to bring people together and move forward after watching Chelsea play Manchester City the night before.
He said, “There is a lesson from the world of athletics we can all learn from. The match between Chelsea and Man City involved a multi-racial body of athletes, speaking different languages but all joined by the same set of rules. They shook hands before the game, engaged in competition and then they embraced each other when the game ended. Those that won were ecstatic but knew there would be more games coming and those that lost were down, but not too much so. They lost their game but not their dignity. What made it possible for those young athletes was that when you play and the rules are made public, and the goals are clear and the referees are fair, then we can all make it.”