1871
— Downtown African-American Heritage Trail —
From Enslaved to Community Activist
Education Gave the Jacksons a Step Up
Jordan C. Jackson, Jr. was born enslaved in Lexington. Denied an education, he taught himself to read and write, eventually becoming a successful businessman and newspaper editor. He co-owned a livery at this site.
Jackson twice served as a Republican National Convention delegate. He protested a law that segregated train passengers by race, chaired the committee establishing Douglass Park, and pushed for an African American college—now Kentucky State University.
Teaching in the face of opposition
His wife, Eliza "Belle" Mitchell Jackson, was born in Perryville, Kentucky, to former slaves who had purchased their freedom before her birth.
Belle devoted her life to education. As a teenager, she became the first black teacher at Camp Nelson. Teachers from the American Missionary Association refused to eat and sleep in the same area as "a woman of color." They petitioned for her removal, but Belle made the decision to leave.
After Camp Nelson, Mrs. Jackson was invited to teach at the Missionary Free School of Color in Lexington. She would go on to teach in Frankfort, Louisville, Nicholasville, and Richmond.
The Original Power Couple
The
Jackson Made Life Better for Black Citizens
This site is the former location of the Porter and Jackson Livery, owned by Jordan C. Jackson, Jr. and William M. Porter. Jackson (1848-1918) also
became Lexington's first black undertaker.
Jackson's wife, Eliza "Belle" Mitchell Jackson (1848-1942), co-owned the city's only African American hat shop with Amanda Hathaway.
They served their community & were equally devoted to each other
The Jacksons married in 1871 and later adopted two children. They dedicated their lives to giving local African Americans greater economic, educational, and political opportunities.
The Jacksons served on many boards, and helped found the Colored Fair and Colored Orphan Home. The couple's devotion to their community was matched only by their devotion to each other. Jordan said Belle was the best investment he ever made, and he owed much of his success to her.
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