Joseph H. Jackson facts for kids

Joseph Harrison Jackson (born January 11, 1900 – died August 18, 1990) was an important American Baptist pastor. He served for the longest time as President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., a large group of Black Baptist churches.

During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, many Black churches had different ideas about how to achieve equal rights. Some ministers focused on spiritual teachings, while others supported political action. Joseph H. Jackson first supported the Montgomery bus boycott in 1956. However, by 1960, he felt his church group should not get involved in direct civil rights protests.

Jackson lived in Chicago and worked closely with Mayor Richard J. Daley. He had different ideas from Martin Luther King Jr. about how to fight for civil rights. Jackson believed in achieving civil rights through "law and order." This meant working within the existing laws and government. King, however, supported civil disobedience, which involved peacefully breaking unfair laws to bring about change.

Even though Jackson disagreed with King's methods, a former member of his church, L. Venchael Booth, helped start a different group called the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC). This new group strongly supported the civil rights movement and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Life and Ministry

Early Life and Education

Joseph H. Jackson grew up on a farm in Rudyard, Mississippi. He was very determined and taught himself to read, spell, and do math while working on the farm. He started preaching at a young age in Mississippi.

He went to Jackson College (now Jackson State University) and earned a bachelor's degree. Later, he studied theology and education, getting degrees from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and Creighton University. He also did advanced studies at the University of Chicago. Jackson received special honorary degrees from other universities as well.

Pastoral Ministry

Jackson began his ministry as a pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He was also elected president of the Nebraska Baptist State Association. From 1934 to 1941, he was the minister of Monumental Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1941, Jackson became the pastor of the historic Olivet Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side. He served there for almost 50 years, until his death in 1990. During his time at Olivet Baptist Church, the number of members grew from about 10,000 to over 20,000.

Jackson was also involved in bringing different Christian churches together. He attended meetings in 1937 and 1948 to help create the World Council of Churches. This made him a founding member of the council. While leading Olivet Baptist Church, Jackson also served as president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC) for 29 years. He traveled around the world on religious missions and was a vice president of the Baptist World Alliance.

National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC)

Before becoming president, Jackson was the secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the NBC from 1935 to 1941. In 1953, he was elected president of the NBC, taking over from D. V. Jemison. Jackson held this position for 29 years, longer than any president before him.

One of the NBC's big achievements under Jackson's leadership was buying a Freedom Farm in Tennessee. This farm offered a safe place for Black farmers who had lost their land during the civil rights changes. However, different ideas about how the church should be involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and disagreements about how long a president could serve, led to a split within the NBC. This led to the creation of the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC).

Views on Civil Rights and Society

Joseph H. Jackson believed that civil rights for African Americans should be achieved by working within the American democratic system. He thought that problems in America could be solved through existing laws and by following the American way of life. Jackson believed that as long as America was guided by logic and law, everyone would be treated fairly.

He saw the voting ballot as the "most important weapon" for making important decisions. In a speech in 1964, Jackson explained his views. He quoted Abraham Lincoln, saying, "By giving freedom to the slaves we insure freedom to the free." Jackson added that if even one person is not free, it harms all of society. He believed that unfairness creates problems that hurt everyone.

Jackson felt that a strong church could not be built by preaching hate or revenge. He also believed that even nonviolent civil disobedience could lead to anger and a desire to destroy. He thought that working through the legal system was the best path forward.

Philanthropy

In 1983, Joseph H. Jackson gave $50,000 to Jackson State University. This money helped create the Joseph H. Jackson Fund, which supported a lecture series and scholarships for students. He also gave money to other schools, including Hampton University, Howard University, Edward Waters College, and Meharry Medical College.

Death

Joseph Harrison Jackson passed away on August 18, 1990, at Chicago Osteopathic Hospital in Chicago. He was 90 years old and had been ill for some time. He was still serving as the pastor of Olivet Baptist Church when he died. He was survived by his wife, Maude Thelma Jackson, and his daughter, Dr. Kenny Jackson Williams.

Works

Published Works

• Stars in the night: Report on a visit to Germany, Christian Education Press, 1950
• The Eternal Flame: The Story of a Preaching Mission in Russia, Christian Education Press, 1956
• Many but One: The Ecumenics of Charity, Sheed and Ward, 1964
• Unholy Shadows and Freedom's Holy Light, Nashville: Townsend Press, 1967
• Nairobi, a Joke, a Junket or a Journey? Nashville: Townsend Press, 1976
• A Story of Christian Activism: The History of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., Nashville: Townsend Press, 1980

See also

• National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.