EAST POINT, Ga. — James L Jackson was the first black man to run for East Point City Council in 1972.
“They told me I couldn’t do it, but that made me more desperate to do it,” said Jackson.
The now 92-year-old ran for office every time a seat came up in Ward B from 1972 until 1988.Though he didn’t win, Jackson continued to serve the community for decades as a city leader.
Jackson served as chair person with the East Point Community Relations Commission, he was a member of the East Point Housing Review Board, and many other local committees.
When asked how it felt, Jackson replied, “When I lost my elections, I also won more friends. As positions opened, they put me in those positions.”
Aside from his political accomplishments, Jackson served in the United States Army as a mechanic and driver for 27 years and played baseball for the Georgia Amateur League. Jackson and his wife, Gladys have been married over 70 years. They share two children and five grandchildren.
Fortunately, a lot has changed over the years when it comes to East Point's political sphere. There has been progression since Jackson’s first campaign.
Currently, the City Council is majority African American. Joe Heckstall was the first African American elected to the East Point City Council in 1981, and later in 1992, Patsy Jo Hillard became the first black woman elected as Mayor of East Point.
In 2002, Hillard brought it full circle when she announced the opening of the James L. Jackson Pedestrian Community Foot Bridge, further solidifying his place in East Point history. The bridge spans 210 feet and crosses six railroad tracks and the MARTA Line.
Want more East Point news? Like us on Facebook.