Black News · Civil Rights · September 26, 2026
Executive Briefing · Key Facts.
- Faith, labor and civil rights coalition to mobilize southern voters for November and beyond (via afro.com).
- Ongoing civil rights and community developments documented through primary news feeds.
The Sourced Developments
Yusef Jackson, president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, joined leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC) and AFL-CIO to announce a new southern strategy combining major faith, labor and civil rights organizations determined to impact the U.S. midterm elections in November by ensuring vulnerable groups are registered and get to the polls.[1]
The three organizations will join forces in what they have named “The People’s Revival” to bolster voter turnout across hot spots in four southern states: Atlanta, Ga.; Charlotte, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Houston and Dallas, Texas. Each state selected for the campaign has competitive statewide elections.[1]
“November is going to be the beginning of our movement, not the end of our movement. We have to fight eternally,” Jackson said adamantly to ministers, lay persons and organizers from the three organizations gathered Sept. 22 at Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., for the launch.[1]
Context & Key Data
Context & Key Data.
Places mentioned: America, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, D.C., Dallas, Ga., Houston, N.C., S.C..
Organizations mentioned: AFL-CIO, PNBC, The AFL-CIO, The People’s Revival Campaign, Zion Baptist Church, the National Rainbow Coalition, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Numbers in this story: Sept. 22, 50,000, 1961, 33, 65, 1955, 1996.
Legal & Community Perspectives
“So, let’s make sure that we develop the maturity to fight, vote on our numbers and on our economic interest, and then hold our politicians accountable,” Jackson concluded. PNBC has coordinated a series of local churches, HBCUs and community centers that will host joint assemblies and organizing activities.[1]
AFL-CIO will host rallies in labor halls, bringing together local labor groups in each location as well as recruit and train 50,000 election protection volunteers to monitor polls nationwide. “The civil rights community, faith, labor – the longstanding coordination in the fight against America’s original sins has continuously brought us together to fight for freedom and liberation,” said Alex Rias, AFL-CIO director of civil, human and women’s rights.[1]
In addition to voter registration and mobilization, The People’s Revival Campaign is meant to equip a sustainable long-term body of volunteers and activists that can continue building and supporting local voter turnout infrastructure, said PNBC General Secretary Rev. Thomas Bowen.[1]
Analysis & Regional Impact
“We are declaring through these three organizations that it’s time to build power and it’s time to give the power back to the people,” said Rev. Dr. Willie Dwayne Francois, PNBC second vice president. The PNBC was formed in 1961 by 33 ministers, including the late Dr. Martin L. King Jr., to champion civil rights, social justice and a progressive vision of faith.[1]
The AFL-CIO is a federation of 65 national and international labor unions founded in 1955. Operation Rainbow PUSH was founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1996 through the merger of Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition.[1]
Additional information on the PNBC, AFL-CIO, Operation Rainbow PUSH Coalition “People’s Revival” voter participation campaign can be found here: https://thepeoplesrevival.info/.[1]
What You Can Do Right Now
- Know Your Civil Rights: Review statutory protections under federal and state civil rights statutes, including public accommodation and fair housing laws.
- Document Public Incidents: Maintain contemporaneous written accounts, names of witnesses, and records of communication when encountering bias.
- Connect with Advocacy Groups: Reach out to established legal aid societies, NAACP regional branches, and community defense collectives.
- Support Local Accountability: Attend open city council and administrative hearings where civic governance matters are decided.
Interactive Civil Rights & Voting Tracker
⚖️ Related Interactive Tracker
U.S. Voting Dates & Civil Rights Legal Tracker
Follow key civil rights filings, state statutory changes, and registration rules.
How to Verify This Yourself
Read the original reporting directly at afro.com — that page contains the source reporting for this update.
References
- afro.com. Faith, labor and civil rights coalition to mobilize southern voters for November and beyond. ↩
Investigative methodology: this update was produced by scripts/black_news_monitor.py from real afro.com reporting — not a language model. The quoted text above is verbatim from the source, cited; no analysis or interpretation is added.

