Jesse Jackson will speak on early voting Friday

Rev. Jesse Jackson, a two-time presidential candidate and giant in the civil rights movement, will discuss the importance of early voting in a speech on campus Friday.

The event, which will be held in Genome Sciences Building room G-100 at 2 p.m., will also focus on the impact young voters will have in the upcoming presidential election.

“He will encourage us to vote early and vote for the candidate we think will help move this country forward,” said Alexis Davis, president of the Black Student Movement, in an email.

Jackson is a Baptist minister and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

“He is a famed civil rights leader who has seen more than most of us could imagine,” Davis said. “I can predict that he will speak about his time with (Martin Luther King Jr.) and the stressfulness of the 1950s and 1960s.”

Davis said the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs was contacted Monday to handle the event, but faculty groups could not be involved in planning.

“A representative from his office contacted several organizations on campus and asked if we could accommodate him,” said Mycal Brickhouse, president of Carolina Men Advocating for Leadership Empowerment and Success.

The event is hosted by BSM, Carolina M.A.L.E.S., Carolina Black Caucus, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Tar Heels for Obama and many other organizations.

There are no costs associated with the event, and it will be free and open to the public, Davis said.

Brickhouse said he hopes to spread the word through social media.

“We expect a variety of students as well as faculty members and campus community to attend,” he said.

Other universities and local media have also been contacted, Davis said.

“The auditorium seats 450, so I want it full,” she said.

Senior Autumn Rorrer said Jackson speaking on campus is exciting.

“I think it’s really good he’s encouraging young voters to come out and vote in this election,” she said. “There’s not as much enthusiasm in this election compared to last.”

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