St. Louis Dues

Did Jackson push too hard?

When the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the founder of Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) visited St. Louis early this month, he pointedly congratulated 7-Up for its commitment to black-run enterprises over the next five years. Then he met with a group of black businessmen and made a rather blunt proposition: to finance a drive designed to encourage the Anheuser-Busch brewery to give more contracts to minority firms, they should each donate $500 to Operation PUSH. Said Jackson: "We're all family here, but you have to pay to play."

To that, a number of black St. Louis businessmen took offense. "We don't need any outsider coming in and telling us how to get along and telling us we have to pay him to make progress," said one. Other blacks complained that Jackson had targeted the wrong company: 18% of Anheuser-Busch employees are minorities and the company purchases $40 million annually from black businesses. Said William Douthit, the black president of the St. Louis Urban League: "We have always pointed to Anheuser-Busch as an example of ideal corporate social responsibility."

Jackson, 40, was not without his defenders. At a press conference of 50 black businessmen and ministers, Dr. James Declue, president of the local N.A.A.C.P. board, said, "We support the Rev. Mr. Jackson's concept. It would be idiotic not to, because we are doing the same thing." But he stopped short of endorsing a campaign against Anheuser-Busch. For his part, Jackson accused his critics of ignoring their obligation to organizations like PUSH that have helped blacks. Said he: "Anybody who wants to pick apples off the ground but is not interested in the forces pushing the tree is looking for something for nothing.''