Civil Rights ties with Reston

A Reston Black Focus Document on the 6th anual Black Festival event, advertising a talk by notable Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Reston News article with Rev. Jesse Jackson and other black celebrities partaking in the procession.

Reverent Jesse Jackson who marched with Martin Luther King and had a role in the Civil Rights movement of the late 60’s was a repeat visitor of Reston Black Focuses events. There was always a large variety of speakers presented in the Reston Black Culture festival, but Rev. Jesse Jackson was a continue attending speaker and maintained a connection with Reston Black Focus Inc., as he would attend there events regularly. The connection between this local organization and a major Civil rights figure goes to show the depth and commitment that Reston Black Focus members had when it came to inspiring and promoting Black interests in Reston. The organization Reston Black Focus must have been quite notable given their ability to convince Reverent Jesse Jackson, as well as other Black artists and activists to attend their local event.

The news advertisement mentions Reverent Jesse Jackson, but I think another notable figure listed is Restons very own Elias Blake. Blake was the president of Reston Black Focus and a notable member of a local homeowner’s association. He has a leading role in Reston Black Focus by guiding the organization in its early period. He has a notable quote in the news article titles “Bond; not Forgotten”, where he basically states his personal views of his organizations goals and gives a personal insight to what a Reston Black Focuses views on racial dynamics in the U.S. at the time. Blake can be quoted on the Second paragraph of the aforementioned article stating that talents and achievements of Black, “blossom strongly despite the fact that they must blossom in the amidst of the still unfinished business of complete Human dignity for Black men in America”.