Tag: civil-rights

Derrick Jackson’s Bold Bid for Governor: Legacy, Leadership, and a Vision for Black Georgia

October 21, 2025

By Charles Zackary King
Founder, America in Black and White | AMIBW The Magazine

The original article titled “Derrick Jackson Discusses Campaign for Governor” was written by Christopher Smith and published on News & Talk WAOK.

Georgia State Representative Derrick Jackson isn’t just running for governor, he’s running on legacy, lived experience, and a moral obligation to serve. With a 42-year career that spans military command, corporate leadership, and legislative advocacy, Jackson’s campaign is rooted in justice, equity, and empowerment for all Georgians, especially Black communities historically left behind.

A Life of Service and Strategy

Jackson is a husband, father of seven, and retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander with 22 years of service, including seven deployments. After a decade in the corporate sector with General Electric, he transitioned into public service, winning election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2016. He represented District 64 until 2023, and now serves District 68, marking nearly a decade of legislative leadership.

His record includes fighting for voting rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and small business support. But Jackson’s work in underserved communities goes deeper, he’s been a consistent voice for economic justice, healthcare access, and educational equity.

Legislative Impact: Raising the Floor for Black Georgians

Among Jackson’s most impactful legislative efforts is his sponsorship of a bill to raise Georgia’s minimum wage to $27/hour by 2028. The bill proposed a phased increase, starting at $15/hour and rising annually, designed to uplift working-class families, especially Black workers disproportionately affected by wage stagnation and attacks on diversity initiatives.

This legislation, though stalled in committee, remains a cornerstone of his campaign. It directly addresses the economic disparities that have long plagued Black communities in Georgia, where over half a million Black jobs were lost in the past year due to rollbacks in equity programs.

Campaign Agenda: A Georgia That Works for Us

Jackson’s gubernatorial platform is built on eight pillars, each designed to help Georgia families thrive. For Black Georgians, his agenda includes:

  • Medicaid Expansion to close healthcare gaps and prevent rural hospital closures
  • Repealing Harmful Laws like the six-week abortion ban and rent control restrictions
  • Investing in Black Farmers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits with access to capital and policy inclusion
  • Environmental Justice to protect communities from pollution and neglect
  • Education Reform & Workforce Development with expanded access to trades, apprenticeships, and technical education
  • Reparations Advocacy, proposing 33% of Georgia’s $16B budget be allocated to Black families as a fulfillment of broken promises

Jackson’s message is clear: “We’re not just building a Georgia for business, we’re building a Georgia for families.”

Inspired by Legacy: John Lewis and the Spirit of Service

Jackson cites civil rights icon John Lewis as a moral compass for his campaign. “I have a moral obligation to run for governor,” he said on WAOK, invoking Lewis’s legacy of courage and conscience. His leadership style blends executive discipline with grassroots empathy, qualities he believes make him the only candidate truly qualified to serve as Georgia’s Commander-in-Chief.

A Call to Action

Jackson’s campaign isn’t powered by million-dollar donors, it’s powered by people. He urges Georgians to “Tell 10 to Tell 10,” mobilize their communities, and vote for a future rooted in dignity, equity, and opportunity.

For Black Georgians, this race is more than political, it’s generational. It’s about reclaiming the promise of Georgia and ensuring that every child, every elder, and every entrepreneur has a seat at the table.

Bayard Rustin: The Architect Behind the Dream

August 29, 2025

Bayard Rustin was a man whose brilliance shaped the Civil Rights Movement from behind the scenes. Though history often whispers his name, his impact roars through every march, every speech, and every act of justice that followed. Rustin was not only a master strategist, he was a Black, gay man whose courage and conviction laid the foundation for one of the most iconic moments in American history: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Early Life & Identity

Born in 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Rustin was raised by his grandparents, who instilled in him Quaker values of nonviolence and equality. As a young man, he was deeply influenced by pacifist teachings and the writings of Gandhi, which later shaped his approach to activism.

Rustin’s identity as a gay man was never hidden, but it did make him a target of criticism, even within the movement he helped build. Despite this, he remained unapologetically himself, refusing to let prejudice silence his voice or diminish his contributions.

2nd February 1964: American civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (1912 – 1987), spokesman for the Citywide Committee for Integration, at the organization’s headquarters at Silcam Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, New York City. (Photo by Patrick A. Burns/New York Times Co./Getty Images)

Becoming an Activist

Rustin’s activism began early. He organized freedom rides in the 1940s, worked with the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and was a key figure in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). His commitment to nonviolent protest and strategic planning made him indispensable, but also controversial due to his sexuality.

The March on Washington: Rustin’s Masterpiece

In 1963, Rustin orchestrated the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech. Rustin handled every logistical detail, from transportation and security to programming and press. Without Rustin, there would be no stage, no crowd, no moment.

He didn’t just plan the march. He engineered history.

LGBTQ+ Legacy

Rustin’s courage as a gay man in a time of deep societal repression paved the way for future generations. In 1986, he said:

“Gays are the new barometer for social change.”

His advocacy extended beyond race—he believed in justice for all. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing both his civil rights work and his trailblazing role in LGBTQ+ history.

Final Reflections

Bayard Rustin’s life reminds us that leadership doesn’t always come from the spotlight. Sometimes, it’s the architect behind the curtain who builds the stage for change. His legacy lives on in every movement that demands justice, dignity, and equality.