He outlined the history of Richard Allen, the founder and first bishop of the AME church who bought himself out of slavery in the 18th century and fought against religious segregation.
But while Jackson lauded the self-determination and courage of Allen, he told his audience not just to admire such dynamic figures but to get involved in the public sphere.
"We are all called to change public policy," he said.
He also said that while more than 75 percent of those arrested are white, 55 percent of those in prison are black.
Jackson said such statistics show that black people are not committing more crimes but that they lack fair legal representation.
"Racial profiling needs to end," he said.
Jackson said the solution to pervasive black poverty is cooperation between church leaders and the community, focusing on getting church members out of debt and teaching each other how to use money wisely in major investments.
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