In an effort to secure a natural gas line for impoverished Pembroke Township, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. is holding a 12 noon press conference Monday, December 16th, at the Village Hall (Church of the Cross), 13043 E. 2260 South Road, Pembroke Township, IL to give an update in a fight for social and economic justice for the residents.
Nicor and ComEd officials will attend Monday’s meeting along with Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodges, Pembroke Township Supervisor Brenda Miles, Rick Bryant, senior consultant t U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-2nd), Senator Patrick Joyce (D-40th), Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-79th), Kankakee County States Attorney Jim Rowe and representatives from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
“At the turn of the century, a band of black farmers facing terror of lynching’s, settled in Pembroke, Illinois to cultivate the land,” said Rev. Jackson. “They were free from that terror but have since become victims of economic neglect.”
Currently, Pembroke residents, which include those residing in Hopkins Park, use propane fuel with others warming their homes with wood-burning stoves. Some residents still have outdoor toilets.
Rev. Jackson vowed to work with the leadership in Pembroke to elevate their conditions and to help “break the cycle of poverty.”
Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a multi-racial, multi-issue, progressive, international organization that was formed in December 1996 by the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. through merging of two organizations he founded Operation PUSH People United to Serve Humanity (estab. 1971) and the Rainbow Coalition (estab. 1984). With headquarters in Chicago and offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Oakland, the organization works to make the American Dream a reality for all citizens while advocating for peace and justice around the world. RPC is dedicated to improving the lives of all people by serving as a voice for the voiceless. Its mission is to protect, defend and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields while promoting peace and justice around the world.
