Jackson urges FAMU students to protest

By SHELBY OPPEL

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 28, 2000

TALLAHASSEE -- In a fiery speech aimed at re-energizing supporters of Vice President Al Gore, the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday told black college students that Democrats' protest of the Florida presidential election is crucial to protecting minorities' voting rights.

"Indented chads, dimpled chads, no, no, no," Jackson said, in a speech at Florida A&M University. "This is about African-Americans targeted by the Republican party to suppress the vote on Nov. 7."

Echoing an NAACP request made earlier this month, Jackson called on Attorney General Janet Reno to investigate allegations of "voter irregularities" in Florida, particularly in minority communities.

Jackson told of voters who, though registered to vote, weren't allowed to cast ballots because their names weren't listed on voting rolls; first-time Haitian voters who didn't receive help from Creole translators; and voters who were turned away after waiting in lines for hours.

"If our Department of Justice and Janet Reno can fight for Elian Gonzalez, they can fight for the rights of disenfranchised voters," Jackson said, drawing cheers from the audience of about 300 African-American students.

Jackson was invited to speak by FAMU student government leaders, who organized a sit-in at the state Capitol two days after the election in an attempt to question Secretary of State Katherine Harris about the alleged voting irregularities. Jackson was joined Monday by U.S. Reps. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas.

Jackson urged students to march with him at 11 a.m. today from the FAMU campus to the state Supreme Court for "a nonviolent, disciplined prayer vigil" to bring attention to the alleged voting irregularities and protest Texas Gov. George Bush's claim to the presidency.

"This legal action is right," Rep. Jackson Lee told the students, ". . . and only your voices of articulation will be able to calm the fiery rhetoric of those who claim that we are trying to steal an election."

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