The Rev. Jesse Jackson will visit Chattanooga on Wednesday, and is expected to talk Volkswagen manufacturing officials about his hopes for plant will benefit the city’s minority community.

Glenda Gill, a spokeswoman with Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said the visit and meeting with VW officials is “part of our scheduled meetings with all of the automakers” in the country. “It’s something we’ve done for 11 years,” she said.

Also, beginning at noon, Mr. Jackson will talk with Chattanoogans about the economic climate here and the high number of foreclosures beginning to impact the community — especially the minority community, said the Rev. Kevin Adams, visionary of Olivet Baptist Church in Chattanooga.

“He’ll be speaking on a national level about the economy and the foreclosures — that there are options available with grants and stimulus money and Small Business (Administration),” the pastor said. “His meeting with VW is separate and I can’t really speak to that.”

Volkswagen officials have said they want 10 percent of the new plant construction to be placed with minority suppliers when production starts by early 2011, and the company also is aiming for 5 percent of components to come from minority outfits in 2011 and up to 10 percent by 2015.

Although there has been an undercurrent of concern in the community about VW’s follow through on promises to hire locally and to hire minorities, Ms. Gill said that is not the reason for the visit.

“No one has reached out to us,” she said. She also said neither VW nor labor groups are underwriting the cost of the visit.

VW spokeswoman April Wortham said the automaker participated last fall in the annual Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Automotive Symposium held in Detroit.

“At that meeting, Rev. Jackson expressed interest in paying a visit to all auto manufacturers. This is his visit to Volkswagen, and we join the community in welcoming him to Chattanooga,” she said, confirming that VW is not paying for his visit.

Mr. Adams said the community discussion at Olivet Baptist Church, which is free and open to the public, will be in the church sanctuary at 740 M.L. King Blvd.

Immediately after his public address, he will serve as the keynote speaker at the private Fellowship Luncheon for the Kingdom Center, hosted by Olivet Baptist Church for area ministers and community leaders.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.