High Impact Leadership Coalition

The High Impact Leadership Coalition (HILC) describes itself as working "to protect the moral compass of America and be an agent of healing to our nation by educating and empowering churches, community and political leaders". The group's founder and chairman is Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., the Senior Pastor of Hope Christian Church in the Washington, DC area, and radio commentator broadcast on approximately 400 stations via Salem Radio and American Family Radio networks.

"Don't freeze us out" campaign pushes for oil and gas exploration

In December 2008, HILC and the industry-funded former civil rights group Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) announced a a campaign called "don't freeze us out," which supports "a Bush administration auction in Utah of oil and gas leases, some near national parks." Environmentalists, including Robert Redford, are urging President-elect Barack Obama to overturn the already-completed auction. CORE's Niger Innis vowed, "We are not going to stand by as Robert Redford tries to slow the flow of home heating fuel from the Rockies and drive up home heating prices to millions of Americans in his lust for environmental headlines."

According to a CORE press release, the "don't freeze us out" campaign "will seek to organize churches, civil rights groups, consumer groups and others 'to fight Redford and self-styled environmental groups that are working to constrict supplies of natural gas and other energy resources.'" Innis "also recently appeared at a press conference in Washington ... in support of the Americans for American Energy Act sponsored by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah."

HILC and CORE protested Redford outside the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, in January 2009. Protesters included CORE's Niger Innis, HILC's Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., Bishop Phillip Porter of Colorado Consumers for Affordable Energy, Bishop Bobbie Allen and former Cincinnati Councilman Sam Malone. "Using federal studies and statistics, The Wilderness Society calculated the natural gas recoverable from the 77 contested parcels would be the equivalent of two days of national consumption. The oil recoverable from those parcels would last 1 hour and 40 minutes at today's consumption rate," the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

"Stop the war on the poor" pro-drilling campaign

In July 2008, HILC -- along with the pro-drilling front group Americans for American Energy and CORE -- launched a campaign to "Stop the War on the Poor." The goal of the campaign was to increase U.S. domestic oil and gas production.

The campaign was launched at a Washington DC rally on July 15, 2008. Rally speakers stressed "the need to expand domestic oil and gas production with the goal of reducing fuel costs for low-income households that feel a disproportionate pinch from rising energy prices," reported Greenwire. Signs at the rally included "My family needs affordable energy" and "Environmental groups don't feed my family." CORE received $250,000 in funding from ExxonMobil from 2003-2005. CORE's Niger Innis said the group favors "government spending on oil shale, coal and drilling on the continental shelf and throughout Alaska," because "when these resources are developed ... that is going to have a direct impact on the price of fuel." While some rally attendees told Greenwire about their difficulties "budgeting around today's gasoline prices," others "backd away from a reporter with a notebook. ... One woman, who declined to give her name, said she was demonstrating at her boss's behest."

Advisory Board Members

• Pastor Lyle Dukes, Harvest Life Changers Church International, Woodbridge, VA
• Pastor Michael Faulkner, New Horizon Church, Harlem, NY
• Pastor Michael Freemen, Spirit of Faith Christian Center, Temple Hills, MD
• Dr. Derek Grier, Grace Church, Woodbridge, VA
• Pastor Stephen Lowrey, National Church of God, Fort Washington, MD,
• Pastor Ghandi Olaoye, Jesus House DC, Silver Spring, MD
• Pastor Joel Peebles, Jericho City of Praise, Landover, MD
• Dr. Frank Reid III, Bethel AME, Baltimore, MD
• Bishop Eugene Reeves, New Life Anointed Ministries International, Woodbridge, VA
• Bishop Frank Stewart, Zoe Christian Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA

Contact details

High Impact Leadership Coalition
PO Box 505
College Park, MD 20741
Phone: 240-845-0388
Fax: 240-845-0382
Email: info AT hilc.net Website: http://www.thetruthinblackandwhite.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=section&pSectionID=5

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

• Americans for American Energy
• Congress of Racial Equality
• Eco-Imperialism
• Harry R. Jackson Jr.
• Paul Driessen
• Roy Innis

External resources

• Profile: "High Impact Leadership Coalition," People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch, April 2006.

External articles

• Bill Berkowitz, "High Impact, Low Maintenance: The GOP is counting on Bishop Harry Jackson and his High Impact Leadership Coalition to bring African Americans to the Party," MediaTransparency.org, August 24, 2005.
• John Hollenhorst, "Group in town to stage protest against Robert Redford," KSL-TV 5 (Salt Lake City, Utah), January 14, 2009.
• Patrick Parkinson, "Redford defends gas stance: But group criticizes his opposition to more leases as hurtful to the poor," The Park Record (Park City, Utah), January 16, 2009.
• Harry R. Jackson, Jr., "Energy Policy Reform: The New Civil Rights Frontier," Townhall.com, January 26, 2009.
• Bill Berkowitz, "Conservative Black Preacher Leads Crusade Against Hate Crimes Legislation," ReligionDispatches.org, February 3, 2009.

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