Interviews: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer Talk ‘Fruitvale Station’

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Reverend Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

The Reverend Jesse Jackson is one of the most prominent citizens of Chicago. His work as a major lieutenant to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s – he witnessed King’s assassination – morphed into a career of civil rights leadership and a continual quest for social justice.

The mention of Fred Hampton in the question below refers to the leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party in Chicago. He was shot and killed in controversial circumstances by Chicago police on December 4th, 1969.

HollywoodChicago.com: Let’s go back to the first meeting of major civil rights leaders after Dr. King’s funeral. What was the mood of the collective, was it hope or chaos?

Jesse Jackson: It was chaotic and painful, but hopeful at the same time. We were determined that one bullet would not kill the whole movement. That’s why we spent more time on what killed him, than who killed him. We completed the Poor People’s Campaign in Washington, D.C. and we kept pressure on to end the Viet Nam War. From the blood on the balcony in Memphis in 1968 to the election and the White House in 2008, we never stopped.

HollywoodChicago.com: Personally for you, how long was it from that day in Memphis in 1968 to when you felt you could get back in the fight and move on?

Jackson: I’ve never stop fighting, and I’ve never healed. It may take months, it may take years, but the hurt doesn’t end. Dr. King was only 39 years old, we’d been talking and laughing all day long. We were just going to dinner, when his life was taken away. It hurts me to think about it every time.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was particular about the leadership of Fred Hampton that made him such a target?

Jackson: He was bold and audacious, and challenged the system. Fred did not adjust or compromise to that system, and the government conspired to kill him. That’s what makes it so damn awful.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do your remember about him as a person during that era?

Jackson: I mentored with him, plus spent time with him and Bobby Seale [another Black Panther leader].

HollywoodChicago.com: I remember being in that small group of people on September 12th, 2001, on Federal Plaza in Chicago, when you prayed and inspired me not to have fear, and I thank you for that.

Jackson: Stand tall, brother.

Haroula Rose, Associate Producer of “Fruitvale Station”

Associate Producer Haroula Rose in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Haroula Rose is also a singer-songwriter, and a Chicago native.

HollywoodChicago.com: What compelled you to get involved in “Fruitvale Station,” and what is your background with the film?

Haroula Rose: I knew Ryan [Coogler, the director] from film school from my first day, and he recruited me to be Associate Producer. Ryan is just a great person to be around, he’s just a very genuine soul, and wants to make art that is important and relevant. I always wanted to be on his team, so it was a no brainer that I was involved.

HollywoodChicago.com: What in your developmental years inspired you towards the film school path?

Rose: All of it boils down to wanting to be a storyteller, and finding the stories that makes you want to work as hard as you can to tell them. Just like ‘Fruitvale Station.’

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com