Jackson launches ethnic vote drive

American civil rights campaigner the Rev Jesse Jackson stands on the Thames riverside in Lambeth, south London, after launching Operation Black Vote, which will urge members of ethnic minorities to register to vote in the upcoming UK General Election.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Feb 2010, 21:28 BST
Updated 26th Feb 2010, 21:29 BST

His political credentials carry impressive weight on the other side of the Atlantic and equality campaigners here are now hoping American civil rights campaigner can wake a "sleeping giant" in the UK.

Yesterday Mr Jackson was at Westminster to help launch a registration drive by for Operation Black Vote (OBV) and unveiled a 100ft billboard poster bearing the slogan "Expect the best from yourself and society. Register to vote".

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Mr Jackson was a colleague of Martin Luther King and was with the civil rights leader when he was shot in 1968. He later made unsuccessful bids in 1984 and 1988 to be selected as Democrat candidate for the US Presidency.

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