The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, January 11, 1984- Page7

Jesse Jackson:
'Our time
has come'

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Michigan's first campaign rally of
the new election year featured a
South Carolina minister preaching
to more than 6,500 supporters at the
University of Detroit's Calihan Hall
Sunday. Rev. Jesse Jackson opened
the 10-week campaign in which he
and six other candidates will try to
win convention delegates in a labor-
dominated state which is already
leaning heavily toward Walter Mon-
dale.
Although his Syrian trip and a
nonstop schedule since returning to
the country had obviously taken a
toll on Jackson, a series of gospel
songs including a performance by
Aretha Franklin awakened enough
of his characteristic enthusiasm to
bring the audience to its feet and
even bring some followers to tears.
Amid catcalls of "run, Jesse, run"
and "Mr. President," Jackson told
the primarily black audience that
minorities are well qualified to run
the country and blamed the large
number of unregistered blacks for
President Ronald Reagan's 1980 vic-
tory. But Jackson did not stop there.
At the end of the program, as he has
done many times before, he asked
all of the unregistered spectators in
the hall to come to the front of the
room, and he had them register on
the spot.
Jackson was praised by a long list
of speakers representing a variety of
minority organizations, but the con-
spicuous absence of Detroit Mayor
Coleman Young made it clear that
he is a long way from capturing all
of the nation's minority votes.

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Jackson's emotional rally brought cheers and tears from his supporters
and a proud smile from Rev. Marjorie Turner (center photo) as she sang
along with Aretha Franklin.

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