The historic civil rights organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization formed as a merger of two nonprofit organizations founded by Reverend Jesse Jackson – Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition – now has a new president and CEO.
Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, senior pastor of the Dallas mega-church Friendship-West Baptist Church which boasts more than 13,000 members, was formally installed as the president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition on Feb. 1.
The Installation
The installation took place at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (1323 Canton St, Dallas, TX 75202) amid a sold-out gathering six months after the announcement of Haynes as Jackson’s successor was made during the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s national convention.
VIP program participants and attendees descended upon Dallas, the state’s fifth best city (after Houston, Austin, Missouri City, and Galveston), from all over the country, including Roland Martin, Rev. Al Sharpton (National Action Network), Shavonne Arline-Bradley (National Council of Negro Women), Dr. Michael Sorrell, Dr. Amos Brown, and Dr. Ron Daniels, among others.
Tashara Parker, a four-time Emmy award-winning journalist, served as the mistress of ceremonies.
The Social Justice Conference
The very next day, Feb. 2, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition hosted the President’s Inaugural Social Justice Conference at Paul Quinn College (3837 Simpson Stuart Road Dallas, TX 75241). And in an effort to support Black business, the formal installation ceremony and the President’s Inaugural Social Justice Conference were presented by Sound Design Studios, a Dallas-based Black owned production company.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition President’s Inaugural Social Justice Conference, the first event convened by Haynes, the organization’s newly installed leader, was described by the organization as “a call to action as well as a reminder that the fight for social justice is far from over and requires the collective effort of every individual to bring about meaningful change.”
Speakers included author and activist Tamika Mallory; Pastor Mike McBride; preacher, scholar and researcher Rev. Dr. Brianna K. Parker; pastor, author, and activist Rev. Tisha Dixon Williams; civil rights and social policy advocate, attorney, and CEO Mrs. Jennifer Jones Austin; author, activist, and educator Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.; and Haynes himself.
Sessions included the “Social Justice Master Class,” “Creating Economic Structures that are Just,” the “Disinherited Conference,” and “Curriculum for the 2024 Election.”
Haynes’ connection with Paul Quinn College, the site of the conference, runs deep. Haynes teaches college courses and workshops at several institutions of higher learning, including Paul Quinn College. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Paul Quinn College as well as various other boards. Additionally, he is the namesake of the Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III Global Preparatory School, located on the campus of Paul Quinn College, which serves students grades 6-12 who seek to enter the International Baccalaureate program.
Haynes’ Awards & Honors
Haynes, a 2016 inductee to the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, is said to be already focused on making positive change in his new role, with a national agenda to address issues with courts, the end of affirmative action, economic justice, educational equity and justice, and the effects of climate change on communities of color.
Haynes is best known as a social justice pastor and advocate for marginalized communities, modeling his ministry and leadership after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; one focused on the intersections of faith and justice.
Haynes has received numerous awards and honors for his ministry and activism, which match his agenda. In 2011, Haynes had the honor of being the featured speaker at The Congressional Black Caucus’ Annual Prayer Breakfast. In 2012, Ebony Magazine named him to its Power 100 list of most influential African Americans. He was also inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Haynes was chosen to give remarks at the memorial service of one of the most respected world leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries, President Nelson Mandela. In 2020, Haynes was a featured speaker during the Democratic National Convention’s faith event, “Our Values, Our Voices, Our Votes.” That same year, the prestigious April 4th Foundation awarded Haynes the I am a Man Award, joining the ranks of past honorees like Congresswoman Maxine Waters, legendary activist Diane Nash, Congressman John Lewis, and Harry Belafonté. In 2022, Haynes was awarded the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award in Community Service by President Joe Biden.
As a reflection of his commitment to community transformation and social consciousness, Haynes serves in various leadership capacities in organizations that champion social change and education. In 2003, he founded the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference along with Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and Dr. Iva E. Carruthers. Haynes is on the board of the Conference of National Black Churches, the National Action Network, and the IC3 Church Growth and Development Conference.
