Why did Rev. Haynes step down from Rainbow PUSH? "He did not have authority to do the job," host argues.
Dallas-based pastor reverend Frederick Haynes III stepped down this week as leader of the Chicago-based Rainbow PUSH Coalition after less than three months on the job. His abrupt departure left many questioning what happened and why so suddenly.
Roland Martin, journalist and CEO of Black Star Network, told CBS 2 that Haynes did not have the autonomy to lead the organization as Rev. Jesse Jackson's successor.
"You had the friction there," Martin said. "He did not have the full authority to actually do the job."
Martin, who knows both Jackson and Haynes well, said Jackson hadn't really fully ceded control of the organization he founded in 1971.
"You can't continue to frankly have the reins of an organization when you turn it over to somebody else. That's really what you had here.
"There's no bad blood, there's no anger. It's an issue Rainbow PUSH has to contend with. What is your plan forward to continue the legacy of reverend Jackson."
Rainbow PUSH is also suffering from a bit of an identity crisis and has slipped in stature, Martin said. Chicago is no longer the epicenter of the Black community, Martin said. Now, the population has shifted to the Atlanta area.
Suffering from Parkinson's, the 82-year-old Jackson is not the galvanizing force he used to be, Martin said. He said that now requires a new "leadership model" for the organization.
"They cannot continue to be built solely around Reverend Jackson," Martin said.
"They are no longer considered one of the major civil rights organizations in this country."
In July, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition officially transferred leadership to Haynes as Jackson transitioned to emeritus status.
Jackson founded Rainbow PUSH in 1971, dedicating itself to social justice, civil rights education, and job placement for Black youth. The organization has never had another leader than Jackson until Haynes.
Following Haynes' resignation, Jesse Jackson said his son, Yusef Jackson, will continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer.
