Jesse Jackson to lecture at Oxford

Civil rights activist the Reverend Jesse Jackson is set to give a public lecture on educational opportunities for young black people at Oxford University's Regent's Park College.

The speech, entitled Freedom And Education, will mark the launch of a new scheme aimed at encouraging more people from black communities to go into higher education.

Oxford University receives more than 13,000 undergraduate applications each year, but British Black Caribbean students apply in very small numbers - for example there were just 21 in 2003, according to figures released by the prestigious institution.

In addition, these students have a less than average success rate (only 16 per cent in 2006).

The Aspire Programme will research the reasons behind this, and what can be done to build their aspirations and improve the situation.

Revd Jackson's speech will tie in with this theme. His visit will also see him made an honorary fellow of Regent's Park College.