By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson says with one dream realized, it's now time to work for economic equality in the U.S.
Jackson is in St. Louis today to speak at an African-American History Month event at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He says while there is wage disparity in the U.S., the economic recession has affected all races.
"One reason why this year that whites and blacks could vote together because when they closed the plant and the lights go out, we look all very much alike in the dark. Americans want their jobs back, Americans want their sense of vitality back and their security," Jackson said.
He says that his role has changed as blacks have risen to the highest levels of business and government but he still has work to do.
"Being a voice of conscious, supporting the administration where we can and challenging it where we must because that's the appropriate role for citizens to play. Each of us, according to our own abilities do our very best to make the country again economically secure and end these expansive, expensive wars."
Jackson says it's time to move from racial battlegrounds to economic common ground. He will appear on KWMU's "St. Louis on the Air" program Thursday.