Exclusive photos of Jesse Jackson's El Rukn gang buddiesGang-leader Jeff Fort (center, yellow trousers) and his Rukn deputies at a gang picnic, circa 1976.

The person at Fort's left, whose face and hands have been scratched out, is Mickey Cogwell, a top Rukn deputy Fort had murdered several years after this picture was taken.

Police surveillance photographs of the El Rukn "Temple" at 39th and S. Drexel in Chicago.

The Temple was ordered razed by the Mayor of Chicago in the 1980s. A playground was initially built on the site, which is now open parkland.

Inside the Rukn Temple

Early days at Operation PUSH with the Rev. Clay Evans, Jackson's sponsor in Chicago (left).

Photo courtesy of Fellowship Missionary Baptist church.

As a sign of appreciation to Rev. Evans for his help (Rev. Evans ordained Jackson in June 1968), Jackson guaranteed a $500,000 loan to finance Rev. Evans' new church building in 1973.

Behind Jackson is Sammy Davis, Jr., who helped povide financing for this and other projects.

Jackson welcomes Yasser Arafat to his Ledroit Park residence in Washington, DC

(Photograph by D. Michael Cheers, published in Karin L. Stanford, "Beyond the boundaries," State University of New York Press, 1997.