DALLAS — Speaking up for those without voice has always been the mission of Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III.
"I got to be loud because so many are suffering in silence," he said, seated in the pulpit of Friendship-West Baptist Church, a congregation he's lead for over 40 years.
He'll now get to use his voice in a new way, reaching a much wider audience.
For the first time since its inception in 1971, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition has a new leader in Haynes, who was officially sworn in last Thursday, the first day of Black History Month.
"My first reaction was, 'Wow,'" Haynes added as he remembers hearing the news for the first time.
No stranger to the spotlight, Haynes recognizes the power of using his voice.
“I want people to feel heard, served," he added. "If it ain't about people, what are you here for?"
From behind the mic for many years at Radio One's 94.5 to the last 40 years leading his church, he doesn't need a script when his message is crystal clear.
"If this country is to be true to what it said on paper, then everybody should have both voice opportunity, possibility to live up to their potential and not be held back by something they have no control over," Haynes said.
In the community, leading protests, speaking at the capitol and beyond often with his family by his side, the pastor turned social justice activist doesn't shy away from what some might consider controversial topics, even discussing his view on the push to alter how some subjects are taught in schools.
"The sad reality is that Black history - and I'll just go there - becomes problematic because it counters a narrative that is really a myth that too much of education has been built on. So the chopping of the cherry tree never telling a lie. And all of a sudden, Black people show up here on the shores singing 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', you know. it's just not telling the truth about our history," he said.
Behind the scenes: WFAA exclusive interview with Frederick Haynes III, new leader of Rainbow PUSH Coalition
From an early age, Haynes knew his destiny would always be tied to activism, surrounding himself with the likes of the late Rosa Parks and civil rights leader Al Sharpton.
In his words, leadership is in his DNA, often mentioning his late grandfather and dad, who were both pastors of the historic Third Baptist Church in San Francisco as the inspiration behind who he is today.
"I'm real convinced that when my grandfather said my name is Frederick Douglass Haynes, and then named his son Frederick Douglass, named Junior, who named his son Frederick Douglass, names the third, It's almost a setup. Yeah, for a date with destiny, where I'm out here trying to fight for justice," he said.
That fight for justice over the years caught the attention of international civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
"In April of last year, he called and this time he had some other people on the call. And he said, 'You won't listen to me, but I have witnesses now I need you to succeed me as president of Rainbow PUSH,'" he said remembering the call.
Haynes responding, "Are you serious?", in which Jackson replied, "I've been serious for 10 years."
It was at that moment, he was officially asked to become the next leader of the international non-profit, which at its foundation stems from Jackson's mentorship from Dr. Martin Luther King Junior.
Shocked by the call, Reverend Haynes went with his first reaction: "Can I call you back?"
In that moment, he realizes the magnitude of what was happening. A civil rights icon who at one point marched and received guidance from Dr. King himself, after 50 years leading the organization was passing the torch.
"He's showing me that ministry should never just be confined to a sanctuary," Haynes added. "He's showing me that and he called me to ask me to succeed him?"
This wasn't the first time Pastor Haynes had met or been in conversation with Rev. Jackson. He said Rev. Jackson came to Bishop College when he was a student, and that he was mesmerized.
"I'm like, 'Jesse Jackson, wow!' And I got to hang with him that day. He mesmerized the student body with his speech," Haynes remembered.
He said that encounter was the beginning of his run-ins with Jackson, but none quite like his latest phone call.
NOTE: The following video was uploaded on Feb. 1
Not only will Haynes continue as senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church as he has done since 1983; he will take the reigns as the new leader of an organization he says is arguably just as important now as it was nearly 60 years ago during the height of the Civil Rights movement.
"One of my favorite Bible passages is 'Now unto God who was able to do exceedingly, abundantly above anything I can ask or imagine.' That was that moment, right? It was beyond anything I would ask him for. I thought I had a great imagination. I sure didn't imagine that," he said.
He didn't need to. His faithfulness to his assignment is what he said led to this moment.
"That's my greatest desire, that God can say, 'You were faithful to what I called you to do,'" he added.
That calling helped him find his voice while using it to help others along the way, something he'll need as he prepares for his newest assignment.
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters will remain in Chicago. But you won’t see any less of Rev. Haynes at Friendship-West, where he’ll continue to lead sermons on Sundays.
Watch the full interview below: