Preston Love Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Preston Love Jr.
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Love in 2020
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1942 (age 81–82) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Martha |
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| Relatives | Laura Love (half-sister) |
| Education | University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BS) Bellevue University (MPS) |
Preston Love Jr. (born in 1942) is an American politician, teacher, author, and activist. He is known for his work in politics and for helping his community. He was the campaign manager for Jesse Jackson during the 1984 Democratic presidential elections.
Preston Love Jr. made history in Nebraska. He was the first Black person in the state to get support from a major political party for the United States Senate. He ran for the Senate in 2020 and again in a special election in 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Preston Love Jr. was born in the early 1940s. His parents were Betty and Preston Love. He went to Omaha Technical High School. He played football there and graduated in 1960. The musician Laura Love is his younger half-sister.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Later, he received a Master of Professional Studies degree from Bellevue University. Preston Love Jr. also played football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. He was even drafted to play for the Detroit Lions professional team. He played one season with the Lincoln Comets in 1965.
After his football career, Love worked for IBM. He also started the first computer store in Atlanta, Georgia. He was later honored by being inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Career and Community Work
Preston Love Jr. is the founder and leader of a nonprofit organization in Omaha. This organization is called the Institute for Urban Development. A nonprofit group works to help the community, not to make money.
In 2021, Love started a project to share the history of African Americans in Omaha. This project includes giving tours in North Omaha. He also teaches as a professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He writes columns for the Omaha World-Herald newspaper. He also contributes to the Fine Lines Journal.
Political Involvement
Preston Love Jr. has been very active in politics. He was the vice-president of the NAACP chapter in Omaha, Nebraska. The NAACP is a civil rights organization that works for equal rights for all people.
He worked for Harold Washington during his mayoral election in Chicago in 1983. In 1984, he became the campaign manager for Jesse Jackson during the Democratic presidential primaries. A campaign manager helps organize and lead a political campaign. Love also worked for Andrew Young. Young later appointed Love as the commissioner of planning for Atlanta. This role involves making plans for the city's future.
In 1990, Love created an organization. Its goal was to add the stories of Black Nebraskans to the Nebraska Blue Book. This book contains important information about the state. In 1992, Love ran for a position on the Metropolitan Utilities District board. This board helps manage public services like water and gas. He later became a leader in the Nebraska Democratic Party.
In 2020, Preston Love Jr. decided to run for the United States Senate. He ran as a write-in candidate. This means people had to write his name on the ballot. The Nebraska Democratic Party supported him. This made him the first Black person to receive major party support for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska.
He also ran as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 United States Senate special election in Nebraska. He was the only candidate from his party in the primary election. He ran against the current senator, Pete Ricketts, in the main election. He did not win the race.
Awards and Recognition
Preston Love Jr. has received many awards for his work in Nebraska. Some of his honors include:
- (2023) Inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
- (2022) Inducted into the Northeast Community College Alumni Hall of Fame.
- (2022) The Nebraska Democratic Party named their annual volunteer award after him: the Preston Love, Jr. Volunteer Award.
- (2021) Received the Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award from the Nebraska Democratic Party.
See also
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
