Jack O'Dell facts for kids

Jack O'Dell, born Hunter Pitts O'Dell, was an important African-American activist and writer. He was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s. He worked to achieve equal rights for all people.

Early Life and Education

Jack O'Dell was born in Detroit, Michigan, in August 1923. His grandparents raised him. His grandfather worked as a janitor at a public library. His grandmother was a strict Catholic. O'Dell went to Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans from 1941 to 1943. This was a college for Black students.

During World War II, O'Dell served in the U.S. Merchant Marines. This group helped transport goods and people during the war. While serving, he joined the National Maritime Union. This was one of the few labor unions in the U.S. that included people of all races.

Work with Martin Luther King Jr.

Jack O'Dell worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. He was a director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC was a major organization in the Civil Rights Movement.

Because O'Dell had been a member of the Communist Party USA in the 1950s, some leaders worried about his involvement. People like the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, asked King to distance himself from O'Dell. However, King respected O'Dell. O'Dell decided to take a less public role to help the movement. He still played a vital part in the SCLC and influenced King's ideas.

Working with Jesse Jackson

Later, O'Dell worked with Jesse Jackson. He was a senior advisor for Jackson's presidential campaign in 1984. He also advised Jackson on international affairs for the National Rainbow Coalition.

Later Life and Legacy

O'Dell was a writer for Freedomways. This was an important African-American political magazine. He wrote for it from 1961 to 1985. He also led the Pacifica Foundation from 1977 to 1997. This foundation runs the Pacifica Radio Network, which is supported by its listeners.

He lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with his wife, Jane Power. In his later years, he helped guide new activists and historians. A documentary film about him, The Issue of Mr. O’Dell, was released in 2018. Jack O'Dell passed away in October 2019 at the age of 96.

Other resources

• Kenneth R. Timmerman. Shakedown: Exposing the real Jesse Jackson (2002). Regnery Publishing, Inc.
• Diane McWhorter. Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama, the Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution (2001). Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-7432-1772-1
• Michael Zweig, ed. Jack O'Dell: The Urgency of Now (2005). State University of New York, Stony Brook, Department of Economics.