Jarrett was fanatical about African Americans registering and voting in mass for socially conscious candidates. He championed Harold Washington like a great warrior, and this March, from his hospital bed, wrote an article appealing to Black Chicago to turn out to vote for Barack Obama in the Illinois primaries. Obama astounded everyone with an incredible landslide victory as the progressive, Black candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. From his sickbed, Vernon Jarrett issued a clarion call, and the people responded.
I think Black Chicago was passionately in love with Vernon Jarrett...His unrelenting drive kept us reminded of a sense of purpose and helped to instill the courage of our convictions in struggle as a people. We will forever be indebted; we will never forget.
Indeed, Vernon Jarrett’s legacy is far from forgotten. Much of it lives on in the work of his daughter-in-law Valerie Jarrett.
from...
http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2008/10/obama-file-38-barack-obama-frank.html
above link thanks to FReeper ETL’s fantastic homepage.
Thanks for the promo!
Valerie wasn't married too long, or happily, to Vernon's son. But, interestingly enough, she retained his name after the divorce. I can't imagine why. /sarc