Black History Month: Honoring the legacy of Billy-Gene Jackson Sr.
SALISBURY, MD– As we continue our Black History series we’re spotlighting a local leader who has made a profound impact on African Americans right here on Delmarva.
Billy Gene Jackson Sr. a well-known community activist in Salisbury made significant contributions to the African American community.
“He was a loving father, a loving friend, a loving son, I mean everybody that I know that knew him loved him.”
Those are just a few words that April Jackson the daughter of Billy Jean Jackson Sr. uses to describe her father.
Billy- Gene Sr. is originally from West Palm Beach Florida he moved to the Eastern Shore as a teenager and planted roots in Salisbury eventually assuming the title of community activist.
“He organized a cofounder of an organization for social and political change which was called New Directions. He and some of his friends and colleagues got together and did you know voting registrations” says April.
In 1987, Billy Jean Sr. spearheaded efforts to gain voting rights for the local African American population filing a lawsuit against the City of Salisbury which April says led to changes in Salisbury’s electoral system.
Recounting her father’s fierce advocacy for the Black community April says his determination for black representation is what paved the way for some of our current leaders.
“To be able to get someone of the color in office because, at one point for years we didn’t have an African American or anybody in office to represent our community in our district.”
But it wasn’t just politics Billy- Gene Sr. was also a mentor for young athletes on Delmarva.
April tells us “He formed an organization, group or team called the Lake Street Sprinters which incorporated a lot of kids from all genres from the region as far as Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.”
After years of community activism and youth involvement-Billy Gene Sr. passed away in 2015 at the age of 77.
Still, April says her father’s legacy continues to live on, “He did so much more for others more so than he did for himself. He gave his heart and he was a man of his word if he said he was going to do something then he was going to do it.”
