DALLAS — A Dallas pastor has resigned as CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the civil rights group founded by the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the 1970s, just a bit over two months after taking the role.
Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, who's led Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas for more than 40 years, was officially sworn in as CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. Haynes confirmed to WFAA Tuesday afternoon that he resigned from the position effective immediately.
"I remain committed to honoring the rich history of RPC and the legacy of its esteemed leader, the incomparable Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., and, most significantly, to the calling and pursuit of social justice," Haynes wrote in a statement. "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have expressed their support since my appointment in July of last year. Rest assured that my work in the fight for liberation and freedom continues."
Haynes also posted a video to his Instagram on Tuesday night:
"It was my honor when last year Reverend Jackson, a personal hero and icon, a leader who has changed the world, tapped me to succeed him as President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH," Haynes said in the video. "It's been my honor to serve, and for that, I will also be grateful. However, today I submitted my resignation as President and CEO because I felt it necessary in light of the huge challenges faced by our community, in light of the challenges faced by this nation and world during this consequential year to move in another direction. I will continue the fight for justice. I will continue to be a prophetic witness. I will just do it in another lane while continuing to honor the work of Rainbow PUSH and Reverend Jackson."
Haynes replaced civil rights leader Jackson, 82, who announced last July that he was stepping down amid health issues in recent years. Haynes’ swearing in marked the first time the Rainbow PUSH Coalition had a new leader since its inception in 1971.
Haynes spoke to WFAA in early February about taking over as CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He said at the time that he knew from an early age that his destiny would be tied to activism.
“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 told WFAA.
His activism eventually caught the attention of Jackson, a protege of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who broke with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1971 to form Operation PUSH, which initially stood for People United to Save Humanity. The organization was later renamed 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,'" Haynes told WFAA, remembering the call. “"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?"
Haynes first met Jackson, though, when he was a college student in 1981. After the two connected in the 1990s, Jackson began inviting him to speak at Rainbow PUSH.
WFAA has reached out to Rainbow PUSH Coalition for comment.