Operation PUSH

With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights leaders redirected their focus on securing economic parity for all minorities. Operation PUSH (People United to Save [later changed to “Serve”] Humanity) was established in Chicago, in 1971, by Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., after the dissolution of Operation Breadbasket, the economic arm of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

In Chicago, Jackson worked as national director of Operation Breadbasket. In 1971, the SCLC Board of Directors suspended him for failing to incorporate the annual Black Business Expo in the name of the SCLC. Later that month, Jackson resigned and started Operation PUSH.

Jackson's new group focused on “economic colonialism” by White-owned businesses. Using his “kingdom theory,” he described how Blacks could exert “the authority of kings” to control every aspect of the numerous economies that influence their lives. He argued that once control has been achieved, political involvement is essential if Blacks wish to protect these gains. As a result, he began negotiating “a Marshall Plan for African Americans” that would be financed by U.S. corporations and financial institutions.

The success of PUSH was due in large part to three factors. First, when Jackson resigned from the SCLC, all the organization's resources went with him; the most notable (and profitable) among them was Jackson himself. Because of his tremendous popularity, participants at the weekly meetings—along with their financial contributions—literally followed him to PUSH [Page 1002]headquarters. Second, the “selective patronage” techniques employed by Jackson were effective, though sometimes considered economic intimidation. In an attempt to serve as a “corporate conscience” to large corporations that catered to African American consumers, Jackson would threaten to initiate a boycott if owners refused to adequately invest in the African American community. Finally, PUSH was successful because its goals were consistent with those of the government and corporations anxious to support affirmative action programs.