Tony Tye, Post-Gazette The Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses a noon rally yesterday in Market Square, Downtown, to the applause of city councilman Sala Udin, in the background. Click photo for larger image.

Under skies brighter than any stained glass, the Rev. Jesse Jackson turned a Market Square rally into church yesterday.

Using his Baptist-minister's spit-fire cadence and a plea for social change, he stirred the masses gathered to hear his gospel of inclusiveness, political participation and outreach to hungry families and the unemployed.

Using his signature call-and-response -- "I am . . . Somebody" -- Jackson made a midday rally for the third National Hunger Awareness Day seem more like Sunday revival.

"Red or yellow, black or white, we are all precious in God's sight," intoned the former Democratic presidential candidate. "Stop the violence. Feed the children. Save the family. Put America back to work. Keep hope alive. Let me hear you scream."

And the crowd, 400 strong, did just that, lifting voices and hands.

Despite the energetic banter, Jackson reminded the throng that America is facing some serious issues.

Throughout America, more than 35 million people would go hungry without assistance from faith-based or government sources. About 200,000 of those live in the Pittsburgh region and 37,000 are children under age 18.

"We have to wipe out malnutrition," Jackson said, "not wipe out the malnourished."

	Tony Tye, Post-Gazette The Rev. Jesse Jackson elicits cheers from the noontime corwd. Click photo for larger image.

On Sunday, Jackson will launch a bus tour of the hills of Appalachia to take a message of reinvesting in America to save jobs and provide affordable health care. For three days, the bus will travel through Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Under the Bush administration, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have lost a total of 334,000 manufacturing jobs, Jackson said. In West Virginia, 14 percent of the population lacks health insurance; 12 percent in Ohio; and 10 percent in Pennsylvania.

"We have a plan to rebuild Afghanistan, to rebuild Iraq, but there is no plan to rebuild America," he said. "We need our tax dollars on our own infrastructure."

Appalachia, with its expanding poverty and loss of industry, represents a place where young people go to war because they can't afford to go to college.

He mentioned former private and prisoner of war Jessica Lynch of Palestine, W.Va., and Lynndie England, of Fort Ashby, W.Va., who is implicated in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

And, like much of America, Appalachia is peopled with workers who catch the early bus, watch other people's children, clean toilets in tall buildings and sweep the streets.

Jackson's rally for the unemployed drew praise from John May. A Vietnam veteran and former worker at the Clairton steel yards, May, 58, has struggled for work since he was laid off 15 years ago. He's been homeless and grappled with finding adequate insurance to care for his six children.

"Bush's policy has not been good for hard-working men and women," said May. "We've got to stop the country from moving in the wrong direction."

To do that, Jackson said, wiping sweat from his brow, poor, unemployed and minority people have to vote.

"The power is in voting," said Jackson, "when we speak, the world changes."

Only Jackson can make an appeal for voter registration seem like a Baptismal invitation.

"C'mon on down, c'mon on down," he thundered. "If you are 18 and over and not registered to vote, c'mon on down. If you have not voted lately or have changed your address, c'mon on down." And they did.

The crowd parted as about 10 people moved forward to register, among them Jason Anderson, 28, of the East Hills.

Anderson said he never believed his vote would make a difference, but now in business college, he's trying to turn over a new leaf and not be as naive. He was inspired by Jackson's exhortations.

Volunteers with America Coming Together, a voting awareness group, estimated that 60 new voters were registered yesterday.