Rainbow Push Honors Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr. at 11th Annual Awards Dinner
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and Rainbow Push honored Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr. at their 11th Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, November 13, 2009 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Bishop Williamson was honored for his work as past president of Operation PUSH from 1991-1993, founder of One Church One School Community Partnership Program and Chairman of the Commission on Social Justice and Human Concerns of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. Bishop Williamson is the Presiding Prelate of the 9th Episcopal District of the CME Church.

Bishop Williamson received the honor at the Awards Dinner celebrating the 68th birthday of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the founder and national president of Rainbow Push. Bishop Williamson and Rev. Jackson have worked together for more than 30 years to improve the quality of education, fight for racial and social justice, and to provide economic opportunities for minorities.

Bishop Williamson was honored along with legendary singer Sir Elton John; basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; creator and executive producer of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, Shonda Rhimes; recording industry pioneer, Al Bell; and the two journalists who were released from North Korea with the intervention of President Bill Clinton, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. The 25th anniversary of the 1984 Jesse Jackson presidential campaign was celebrated during the event.

Rainbow Push is a multi-racial, multi-issue, international membership organization, founded by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. working to move the nation and the world towards social, racial and economic justice.