As the Democratic National Convention’s African American Leadership Council finance director, Alix Dejean knows that he owes much of his success to the legacies of those before him, particularly Rev. Jesse Jackson. In fact, it was Dejean’s sense of gratitude that brought him to Jackson’s 11th Annual Wall Street Project’s Economic Summit in January.
“I wouldn’t have my job had it not been for Rev. Jackson’s ’84 and ’88 [presidential] campaigns. Because of those campaigns, the DNC took a different approach in their infrastructure . from that legacy I was hired as a finance staffer, which is very uncommon for African Americans and even more uncommon to be so young. I owe homage to Rev. Jackson for that journey,” Dejean explains.
Dejean also felt it was important to attend because of the overwhelming wealth of information to be absorbed. “The who’s who are here talking about the latest issues and how we’re going to move forward. Being a member of the DNC staff, I think it’s important that I come to gain some extra knowledge and bring it back so we [can] start thinking about how we [can] include this in our national message and have it not be lost,” he explains.
Dejean thinks that the current race for the White House could have just as much impact as Rev. Jackson’s historic presidential runs. The Washington, D.C., resident believes the key to victory lies in the hands of young America. “I think we need to show youth across the country that we’re listening and what they’re saying matters. I think that’s going to translate into votes,” he asserts. “Once young people notice that their voices are being heard, they’ll start responding differently.” – ivory m. jones
