Jesse Louis Jackson Center for Racial Justice

Mission Statement: What We Do

The mission of The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice is to move the Black community from disparity to equity through the empowerment of Black-led institutions. The Center follows the Injustice Severance Model or the ISM Model to address racism.

There are nine root causes we are seeking to address:

I – Implicit Bias

N –Narrative (Racist)

J – Jim Crow

U –Urban Renewal

S – Slavery

T – Terrorizing

I – Incarceration

C – Cops, Corrections, Courts

E – Economic Exclusion

Disparity

Black disparities exist when socio-economic realities are out of alignment with the population

size of Black Americans. Structural and systemic racism are endemic in Louisville and in America, reflecting a bigger

problem that has yet to be faced. The incidences of police brutality and excessive force are only a

symptom of a much deeper problem—the centuries old disparity between the races.

• Blacks are 13.2% of the population, yet Blacks are 40% of the homeless. In an equitable society,

Blacks would be 13.2% of the homeless.

• Blacks are 13.2% of the population, yet Blacks are 39% of all incarcerated. In an equitable society,

Blacks would be 13.2% of the incarcerated.

• Blacks are 13.2% of the population, yet possess 3.6% of the wealth. In an equitable society,

Blacks would possess 13.2% of the wealth. (Mcintosh, et. al, 2020)

Equity

Equity is bringing the Black community socially and economically into alignment with the Black community’s population size.

Empowerment

Empowerment is the drawing of wealth, income, and other resources into the Black community to make the Black community more economically self-sufficient and competitive.

Purpose Statement: Why We Do It

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice exists to eliminate social and economic disparities in the Black community by advancing just public policies in education, healthcare, employment, intergenerational wealth, and reparations to ensure fairness, promote racial equity and to keep hope alive.

“A society that has done something

special against the Negro for

hundreds of years must now do

something special for him in order

to equip him to compete on a

just and equal basis.”

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Vision Statement: How We Do It

• Bottom-up advocacy instead of top-down advocacy.

• Black grassroots organizations are contractors and not clients (Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution).

• Mobilize, organize, and energize Black grassroots organizations through asset mapping. Asset mapping shifts the focus from viewing the Black community from a community with only deficits and problems to a community with assets and strengths. Asset mapping identifies those assets and strengths and builds on them.

• O.P.E.N. Access

Opportunities: Obtaining needed scholarships to move Black students in redlined zip codes from disparity to equity.

Pathway: Simmons College of Kentucky is the pathway. HBCU’s perform better than any other institutions at helping Black students to succeed.

Example: The living example of Simmons students inspires others to strive and achieve. Students who might have become a statistic were positively impacted because the pathway to Simmons made a difference.

Networks: Members of the business and academic community are the networks we need to partner and grant Simmons College of Kentucky alumni employment, entrepreneurial, and higher education opportunities to demonstrate they are prepared to be agents of change.

West Louisville Forums: Solutions for Urban America
Ida B. Wells National Book Read (Annual)
Color of Wealth Study on the City of Louisville
Annual policy recommendation to local philanthropy and government
Empowering grassroots, Black-led organizations by providing them with data, research material, student volunteers and by highlighting their organization.
Annual Event Commemorating the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Black History Season (January 15–April 4)
Health Fairs

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice at SCKY will educate, advocate, and legislate to accomplish the work of racial justice.

• Educate

Educate people on social and systemic racism.

• Advocate

Advocate for just laws, policies, systems, and structures.

• Legislate

Legislate by working to improve public policy

to move from disparity to equity.

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. Center for Racial Justice

at Simmons College of Kentucky

Ida B. Wells Hall

550 W. Kentucky Street • Louisville, KY 40203

Phone: (502) 776-1443