Herbert Loring Jackson (October 20, 1908 – September 5, 1978) was an American politician who was the first black city councilor in Malden, Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Herbert L. Jackson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 21st Middlesex district | |
| In office 1951–1955 | |
| Preceded by | George O'Farrell |
| Succeeded by | George O'Farrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Herbert Loring Jackson October 20, 1908 Malden, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | September 5, 1978 (aged 69) Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Doris Pope |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editJackson was born on October 20, 1908, in Malden.[1] He was the youngest of 13 children born to a former slave.[2] He graduated from Malden High School in 1927 and was class president.[3] He attended Suffolk University Law School and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and was a professional actor for a short time.[3] After his father's death, Jackson took over his dry cleaning and tailoring shop.[3]
Politics
editIn 1945, Jackson became the first African American to run for the Malden city council.[4] He was elected to represent Ward 5, which was 99% white.[2] In 1949 he was joined on the council by Overton Crawford, making Malden the first Massachusetts city to have two black city council members.[5] In 1950, Jackson was elected council president, becoming the second African American in Massachusetts to hold this position (Springfield Commons Council president James Higgins was the first).[6] He served as council president again in 1965, 1971, and 1975.[7] Jackson remained on the city council until his retirement in 1975.[7]
From 1951 to 1955, Jackson represented the 21st Middlesex district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[1] From 1963 to 1975, Jackson was an officer in the Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[3]
In 1976, the city council chamber in the new Malden government center was named after Jackson.[7] In 2021 the council chamber in the new Malden City Hall was named after Jackson.[8]
Personal life
editJackson was married to Doris Pope, granddaughter of James W. Pope, the second black member of the Boston Common Council.[7][9] Her brother, Lincoln Pope Jr., was also a member of the state legislature.[10] Jackson died on September 5, 1978, at his summer home in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. He was survived by his wife and three children.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Public Officers of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1953-54. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Elected To City Council By Massachusetts Town's 99% White District". The Chicago Defender. March 23, 1946.
- ^ a b c d e "Herbert Jackson, Malden black pioneer". The Boston Globe. September 7, 1978.
- ^ "Boston Elects a Negro In All White District". New York Amsterdam News. December 1, 1945.
- ^ "Mass. Town Elects 1st 2 Negro Councilmen". The Chicago Defender. November 26, 1949.
- ^ "Jackson Heads City Council". Afro-American. January 5, 1950.
- ^ a b c d Cash, William (December 25, 1977). "At 70, he thinks of running again". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Laidler, John (August 31, 2021). "Malden names new City Council chambers for the late Herbert L. Jackson". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Hayden, Bob (June 14, 1979). "Boston's Black History". Bay State Banner.
- ^ Carden, Lance (2023). Witness: An Oral History of Black Politics in Boston 1920-1960. Wipf & Stock Publishers. p. 60. Retrieved 10 April 2023.