Jesse Jackson in Birmingham visit

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The Reverend Jesse Jackson

The civil rights campaigner the Reverend Jesse Jackson has spoken about political representation of ethnic minorities on a visit to Birmingham.

Mr Jackson was at a conference of Equanomics UK, which aims to tackle racial inequality through business, at Mount Zion Church in Aston.

There are 15 MPs from ethnic minorities in Parliament and only two in the West Midlands region.

"The hope must be in white people changing their minds," Mr Jackson said.

'Wise choices'

"America is changing and in that change they begin to choose leadership... beyond lines of race and gender.

"Whether it's gender or race, religion, do not let these forces impede us in making good and wise choices."

Mr Jackson, after years of campaigning for black civil rights, was moved to tears following the election of Barack Obama as the first US black president.

Following Mr Obama's victory, Mr Jackson, who runs his own organisation called the RainbowPUSH Coalition, has said he hoped it could inspire a new generation in the US.

"The martyrs and marchers worked to tear down the walls that kept us apart," he has said.

"Now Barack Obama has access to the bridge to bring us together."

There was also a sermon by Mr Jackson at Mount Zion Church on Sunday morning.