Jesse Jackson

In the following viewpoint, Jesse Jackson contends that more public money should be spent on education. Increased funding is needed to build, renovate, repair, and properly equip schools, he points out. Concerned citizens must insist that the government provide up-to-date facilities and premium learning environments for students regardless of their race or socioeconomic status. Jackson is president of the National Rainbow Coalition, a social justice organization. He has been active in civil rights issues since the 1960s.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Jackson, how much more money is spent on prison inmates than on public school students in Chicago"

2. What “unspoken message” do the students of DuSable High receive, in the author’s opinion"

3. What would be the results of increased public spending on education, in Jackson&rsquo...