LIVE BLOGGING RAINBOW PUSH...

Opens with the charming hostess, whose name I will add I swear if I hear it...  they start out with music, a choir from University of Missipssipi...  how cool is that?  I tell you, the music is astounding when you are sitting down there.  The meeting place is less a church than a gathering hall, with pews and a huge stage, which they use.  Now a singer has taken the lead and is singing Gospel.  I imagine being there live, and how much better it sounds through their speakers at concert level volumes.  A stunning experience that gets you up off your feet and music... well, it does some.  Others are too stoic or cool or, well, let's be frank here, white and experienced at this thing called rhythm.  I used to get drunk and think I could dance, though I thought I could only dance drunk... which leads to the possible conclusion that when i am drunk, I only think I can dance.  Anyways, I have enough jazz and rock in my soul to clap along and move with the music.   Hey, they just said this gospel choir is the first to sign with a major recording label.

The hostess comes on and thanks these bikers who showed up.  The Reverend rode up one day with a bunch of motorcyclists, in his black leather jacket.   A cool guy.  All around.  Inspires you.

Today he is speaking from a Jewish event, which is another of the olive branches that he holds out to other communities.   He knows, like I do, that the riff between blacks and Jews is a conspiracy myth that has proven self-fullfilling.  I studied under a Jew who worked for black power, with the Panthers.   We have to be color blind as possible in this struggle, and remember that this is ethics, versus the unethical...

They introduced Jesse Jackson, by phone, showing pictures of him... something is wrong with the feed, that is spposed to be coming via a phone, it says.... his voice pops on and he is in the middle of a conversation.


"Rev.  Moss is speaking, Jessie asks for everyone to give him ahand, thanks everyone for helping with 'their struggle.'   He mentions as the hostess did that their students are returning to the church, from colleges and universities, and they welcome them.  There is talk of the dead who lived good lives.  Pictures of their kind faces come on.  Name after name falling away from the battle... leaving in their wake all the warriors their lives inspired.

He says they need volunteers for the convention.  Here is a chance to get to know this organization, and participate in something very cool.     Can't help but meet some great people, hear some of the wisest radicals in the country.

Jessie has been fighting forever to get the student loans changed, and Obama has been responding.  Still, they are talking about how education should not involve ending up owing 70 grand.  They are right.  Other countries do not saddle their students with such debt.  Higher education should be free, in my opinion.   We would have a hell of a lot better world if everyone could get educated into jobs they prefer, as well as create globally.  She wants to relaunch the WAR ON POVERTY says the speaker.  She talks of the states that turned from red to blue are the poorest in the country.  Astutely, she says that Rev.  King's last big push will be Rev.  Jacksons latest.  They are bringing to this concert a bunch of gospel bands from around the country for a competition, so expect the music  be... fucking astounded.

Tues will be religious and clergy day, where they are going to teach the ministers about how to save the houses of their people, have bankers there to talk about renegoiating loans -- she says the churches can get better loans by showing up.  A female Rabbi will be speaking.  They are honoring Dr. king's lawyer.

Tuesday Night They are organizing volunteers.  Volunteers and people who can type.  I can actually go to this and do some stuff.   Just make calls, etc... she says teachers and bus drivers and lawyers need to be here.

They are also celebrating Dr. Jackson's fifty years.  An independent film will be shown, Black Butterfly.  She introduces the film makers and they come.   Three of them, young people, talking about a film about a woman who overcomes the effects of rape.  He talks about how a lot of people do not talk about rape in the african-american community.  He talks about how they hope to save people from rape.  He tells the men to be the protectors of women.  Very sincere.  I look forward to seeing him speak again when the film is shown.

April 7th  CTA headquarters needs marchers..

Johnathon Jackson, the National Spokesperson for Push, comes up.  He studied finance, and understands what is happening in the banking world in ways that leave my head spinning, even though he somehow makes me understand all of it.

He comes out and says happy easter, and slams the commercialism period.  He thanks quinn for pardoning thousands of people, who he talks about are innocent and tortured by Burge and basically railroaded.  It was terrible here for years, with people just being forced to confess by torture, then going to jail...  The guy they bring up had this happen to him at 14.  When he got off, they recharged him...   Johnny got that overturned.  He has been on death row twice, was in jail for 30 years... and now dna has provenn him innocence  JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED.

He brings up Burge,a Commander who had a 'midnight crew' who tortured thousands into false confessions, and thousands of them are still in jail.  He talks about the cops being cool, and have to root out the bullying officers....  He talks about all the places torture is wrong, the litanty of countries...

He talks about the money Chicago pays out for bad policing is more than many huge cities combined... he  names  a few...

"Longevity has it's place."  Martin Luther King's response to those who told him that he was going to get killed for speaking out about the issues he was...  the 39 year old man, who never had a gun, even after his house was burned and he was stabbed.... April 11, seven days after he was assassinated, the Fair Housing Act was passed.

He talks about Martin Luther King said that Chicago was the next battle ground...   he talks about how they are now fighting that battle.   He is all riled up today...  speaks without notes....  all of them do.... these are smart guys who can think on their feet in a way that puts the politicians to shame.  The preacher side of them has shown them to use all the tools of the actors and entertainers.

oitis Moss III   calls Rev. Jackson one of the great prophets of the 20th century. He reads of jesus curing a blind man... then reads what he says is The Rev. Moss Translation of the Bible.  He says a blind man, with no health care, called out to Jesus...."   A nice parody that makes you smile.

He then launches into a pissed off speech that God is Undefinable, and every once in awhile one gets a glimpse.He makes a connection that the same rhetoric that started the Klan after the reconstruction,  is being used by Tea Partyiers... which is also what the movement that started The Klan.

Rev. Moss is much more of a 'preacher' than is usually on Push.  He uses all of the tricks of southern ministers, his voice itself a song, that kids in the choir nod along with, and the piano and others kind of break into bits of song... soon the minister is breaks into song with the piano for a few seconds.  He talks about we have to keep protesting.  He uses repeat cadences, praising God... saying Lift Up The Blood Stained Banners...  He does a call and response that barely works with this crowd... then, the program is over... abruptly.   Push is known for going on longer than the hour allotted.

So, that is what it was like, a bit...   Without Rev. Jackson, or Johnathon Jackson, being keynote speakers, the program was different than normally, more religious.  Easter is upon on us.  The minister Ross was excited to be preaching at such a historic podium.  A very interesting sermon, combining a lot of social activism, teaching about health care, and the bible.  This is something you hear a lot at push, the Bible used to explain an issue on the table in liberal, Jesus terms.  

I have never heard them preach hell and damnation for neo cons like some radical churches must.