Robert Jackson (New York politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Jackson
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Jackson in 2023
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| Member of the New York State Senate from the 31st district |
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| Assumed office January 1, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Marisol Alcantara |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 7th district |
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| In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Stanley Michels |
| Succeeded by | Mark D. Levine |
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| Born | December 18, 1950 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Faika Jackson |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | New York City, New York, USA |
| Alma mater | SUNY New Paltz |
| Website | |
Robert Jackson, born on December 18, 1950, is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He currently represents District 31 in the New York State Senate. Before this, he served on the New York City Council from 2002 to 2013. He represented the 7th district in Manhattan. Robert Jackson is also known as the first Muslim New York State Senator.
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Robert Jackson's Early Life and Schooling
Robert Jackson was born in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City. He grew up in Manhattan and The Bronx. As a child, he attended several public schools. He even sold newspapers to earn money.
In 1975, Jackson graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz. After college, he worked for the New York State Department of Labor. He also worked for a labor union called the Public Employees Federation. In 1986, he was elected to New York City Community School Board 6. This was his first step into public service.
Fighting for School Funding: The Campaign for Fiscal Equity
In 1992, Robert Jackson was the elected president of Community School Board 6. He was very concerned that New York City public schools did not have enough money. He believed the state was not providing fair funding.
Jackson decided to take action. He worked with an attorney, Michael Rebell, to start the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. In 1993, they filed a lawsuit against the State of New York. The lawsuit argued that the way New York State gave money to schools was unfair. They said it did not provide enough for children in New York City. This, they argued, went against the New York State Constitution and the federal Civil Rights Act.
On June 26, 2003, New York's highest court, the New York State Court of Appeals, agreed with Jackson. The court ruled that the state needed to change how it funded schools. They gave the state a deadline to make these changes.
However, lawmakers found it hard to agree on a plan. A special group was appointed to help solve the problem. In 2005, this group suggested that New York City schools should get an extra $5.6 billion each year. This solution was accepted. In 2007, a new plan called the Foundation Aid Formula was created. This plan aimed to give schools the money they needed over four years.
Later, a financial crisis caused funding to be paused from 2009 to 2012. Robert Jackson continued to speak out about the need for full funding for schools.
Serving on the New York City Council
In 2001, Robert Jackson was elected to the New York City Council. He represented the 7th district. This district included parts of Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood.
During his time on the City Council, he served as the Chair of the Education Committee. He also co-chaired the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus. Jackson was re-elected twice. He served until 2013, when he reached the limit for how many terms he could serve.
Robert Jackson was the only Muslim member of the City Council during his time there.
Running for Manhattan Borough President in 2013
In January 2013, Jackson announced he would run for Manhattan Borough President. He often talked about his work with the Campaign for Fiscal Equity. He said it helped bring "billions of additional dollars each year to improve our public schools."
Jackson was the only male and Black candidate in this election. He received support from former mayor David Dinkins. His opponents included other former city council members. Jackson came in third place in the election.
Robert Jackson's State Senate Campaigns
2014 State Senate Campaign
In 2014, Robert Jackson ran for the New York State Senate in District 31. He ran against the person who held the seat at the time, Adriano Espaillat. Jackson lost this election, getting about 43% of the votes.
2016 State Senate Campaign
In 2016, Espaillat decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. This meant his State Senate seat was open. Robert Jackson ran for the District 31 seat again. It was a close race. Jackson came in third place, with 30% of the votes.
2018 State Senate Victory
In 2018, Robert Jackson ran for State Senate District 31 for the third time. This time, he won! He received 56% of the votes, defeating the person who held the seat, Marisol Alcantara. Many people supported Jackson because they were unhappy with Alcantara's actions in the Senate.
In November 2018, Jackson easily won the general election. He received 89% of the votes. This made him the first Muslim state senator in New York. In the Senate, Jackson serves as the Chairman of the Committee on Cities.
Robert Jackson's Family Life
Robert Jackson has three daughters. He met his wife, Faika Jackson, when they were in college. He lives with his family in Washington Heights.
