--- title: "Rainbow PUSH Coalition | African American History" description: "Rainbow PUSH Coalition is Jesse Jackson's civil rights organization focused on economic justice, voting rights, and Black empowerment in African American History." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/rainbow-push-coalition" type: "key-term" subject: "African American History – 1865 to Present" unit: "Unit 9" --- # Rainbow PUSH Coalition | African American History ## Definition The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a civil rights and social justice organization founded by Jesse Jackson in 1996. In African American History since 1865, it shows how Black activism expanded into economic and political advocacy after the classic Civil Rights era. ## What It Is The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a Black-led civil rights organization founded in 1996 by Jesse Jackson after merging Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition. In African American History since 1865, it represents the shift from the mass protest era of the 1950s and 1960s into a later stage of activism that also targets jobs, corporate hiring, education, health care, and voting access. The name matters because it reflects the coalition's strategy. The word Rainbow points to multiracial democracy and coalition-building, while PUSH grew out of Jackson's earlier push for economic self-help and pressure on institutions to open opportunities to African Americans. Instead of only protesting legal segregation, the group worked to influence public policy and private businesses at the same time. That makes Rainbow PUSH a good example of post-Civil Rights Movement activism. Black freedom struggles did not stop after major civil rights laws were passed. Activists kept organizing around discrimination in hiring, unequal schools, health disparities, and political representation, especially in cities where formal legal equality did not produce real equality in daily life. The coalition also shows how African American leaders used institutions outside government to create change. It held conventions, brought together activists and politicians, and pressured corporations to diversify their workplaces and leadership. That mix of public protest, negotiation, and media attention is a common pattern in late 20th century Black activism. You can also connect Rainbow PUSH to the broader discussion of Black political power after the Civil Rights era. Its work overlaps with voter participation, business access, and community empowerment, all of which became major themes as African American leaders moved from fighting for basic legal rights to fighting over how equality would actually look in practice. In this course, Rainbow PUSH is less about one dramatic march and more about sustained organizing. It shows that civil rights history after 1965 includes institutions, coalitions, and long-term pressure campaigns, not just landmark court cases or one-time protests. ## Why It Matters Rainbow PUSH Coalition matters because it helps you see how African American activism changed after the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Earlier struggles focused heavily on ending segregation and winning formal legal rights. Rainbow PUSH shows the next step, pushing for economic empowerment, political influence, and fair treatment inside schools, workplaces, and health systems. That makes it useful for essays and discussion questions about continuity and change. The coalition connects classic civil rights goals, like equal access and voting rights, to newer fights over corporate diversity, poverty, and unequal opportunity. It also helps explain why Black freedom struggles after 1965 often worked through coalitions, public pressure, and policy advocacy instead of relying on one single method. It is also a strong example of how African American leaders responded to the gap between legal equality and lived equality. Even when laws changed, discrimination and inequality stayed embedded in institutions. Rainbow PUSH gives you a concrete case for arguing that civil rights history did not end with legislation, but expanded into economic and political organizing. ## Connections ### [Jesse Jackson](/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/jesse-jackson) Rainbow PUSH is tied directly to Jesse Jackson, who founded the two groups that later merged into the coalition. If you are tracing Black leadership after the Civil Rights era, Jackson is a major figure because he linked protest politics, voter outreach, and economic demands. The organization reflects his style of building broad coalitions rather than relying on one issue alone. ### Economic Empowerment A big part of Rainbow PUSH's agenda was economic empowerment, which means pushing for better jobs, fair hiring, business access, and stronger community wealth. This connection helps you see that African American history after 1865 was not only about voting and legal rights. Economic inequality stayed central, so activism had to address wages, employment, and opportunity too. ### [Political Empowerment](/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/political-empowerment) Rainbow PUSH also connects to political empowerment because it supported voting rights, public advocacy, and greater Black influence in decision-making. That matters in a course on modern African American history, where the question is not just whether Black Americans could vote, but whether they could shape policy and hold institutions accountable. The coalition fits that larger struggle for power. ### [multiracial democracy](/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/multiracial-democracy) The coalition's name and organizing style point toward multiracial democracy, or the idea that equality requires cooperation across racial groups. Rainbow PUSH did not treat Black freedom as isolated from other communities. That makes it a useful example for understanding post-1960s movements that tried to build broader alliances around justice, inclusion, and equal access. ## On the AP Exam A quiz question or short essay might ask you to identify Rainbow PUSH Coalition as a later civil rights organization and explain what it tried to change. Use it to show how Black activism moved beyond ending legal segregation and into economic justice, voting rights, and corporate pressure. If a prompt asks about post-1960s Black politics, Rainbow PUSH is a strong example of coalition-building and long-term advocacy. When you see a passage, speech excerpt, or discussion prompt about Jesse Jackson, workplace diversity, or Black economic inequality, connect the organization to those themes. A good answer usually names the founders' merger, explains the focus on empowerment, and shows how it fits the broader shift from protest alone to organized policy and institutional change. ## Key Takeaways - Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a Jesse Jackson founded civil rights organization from 1996 that grew out of two earlier groups. - In African American History since 1865, it shows how Black activism continued after the major victories of the Civil Rights Movement. - Its focus went beyond protests and legal rights to include economic justice, education, health care, and voting rights. - The coalition is a good example of how activists pressured both government and private institutions for real equality. - You can use Rainbow PUSH to explain the difference between formal civil rights and the longer fight for lived equality. ## FAQs ### What is Rainbow PUSH Coalition in African American History? Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a civil rights and social justice organization founded by Jesse Jackson in 1996. In African American History since 1865, it represents later Black activism focused on economic empowerment, voting rights, and pressure on institutions like corporations and public agencies. ### Who founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition? Jesse Jackson founded the coalition by merging Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition. That merger matters because it shows how his activism combined economic pressure, coalition-building, and political advocacy into one organization. ### How is Rainbow PUSH different from the Civil Rights Movement? It is not separate from the Civil Rights Movement so much as part of its later legacy. The classic movement fought to end legal segregation, while Rainbow PUSH focused more on what came next, like job access, corporate diversity, health care, and voting power. ### How would Rainbow PUSH show up on a test or essay? You might use it in an essay about post-1960s Black activism, Jesse Jackson, or the gap between legal rights and economic equality. It is a strong example when you need to explain how African American leaders kept pushing for change after the major civil rights laws were passed. ## Related Study Guides - [9.2 The election of Barack Obama and its significance](/african-american-history-since-1865/unit-9/election-barack-obama-significance/study-guide/zp8ooEt9nXVmvcAu) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/rainbow-push-coalition#resource","name":"Rainbow PUSH Coalition | African American History","url":"https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/rainbow-push-coalition","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/rainbow-push-coalition#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:20:46.611Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"African American History – 1865 to Present Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/african-american-history-since-1865/key-terms/rainbow-push-coalition#term","name":"Rainbow PUSH Coalition","description":"The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a civil rights and social justice organization founded by Jesse Jackson in 1996. 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