Let the racists tell it, David Hamilton Jackson was an educated man, but wasn’t smart enough to keep his mouth shut. But why would he keep quiet when all he was saying was the truth?
While white landowners and politicians thrived, Black people suffered from low wages, poor educational opportunities, and a lack of healthcare. Jackson spoke freely and often about this – but the time had come for Jackson to do more than just talk.
He organized Black laborers to strike, and started a newspaper where he publicly called out the governor and other powerful leaders. He was a powerful and passionate orator – but when he got through talking, did his work get results that benefited our people?
Yes! Jackson got wages tripled for Black laborers, found allies abroad for the Black cause, and even openly challenged the educational system for Black children. He refused to see our people’s bodies used up and thrown away. The people loved him, dubbing him “Black Moses!”
There is still a high premium on Black bodies and Black labor. Like Jackson, we must always seek to speak the truth – AND do the work to challenge any system that would exploit us through low wages, discrimination, and oppression!