Hezekiah Jackson
Hezekiah Jackson IV (born c. 1959) is the president and CEO of The Answer Group, a public relations and consulting firm. He has been president of the Metro Birmingham NAACP, president of the Citizens Advisory Board, president of the Inglenook neighborhood association and East Birmingham community, and a Birmingham City Council administrative assistant.
In the 2005 Birmingham City Council election, Jackson lost to Maxine Herring Parker in a runoff in District 4. Incumbent Gwen Sykes finished fourth.
In 2015 Jackson was involved with the Team Seven PAC's efforts to have the 1930s Jefferson County Courthouse murals removed or covered due to their depictions of African-American workers, both in slavery and under racist industrial labor conditions.
Beginning late that same year, Jackson was paid by the Oliver Robinson Foundation for "community outreach" efforts relating to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's work to test soils in and around the 35th Avenue Superfund Site. He attended neighborhood meetings with Amanda Robinson expressing distrust of the federal agency. State Representative Oliver Robinson later pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to oppose the EPA on behalf of the Drummond Corporation and their attorneys, Balch & Bingham.
Jackson has denied the allegations of his involvement in Drummond's scheme. The NAACP suspended Jackson pending a hearing. Dorothea Crosby succeeded him as president in late 2018.
References
- "Birmingham City Council candidates" (October 9, 2005) The Birmingham News
- Archibald, John (August 24, 2018) "More proof Birmingham NAACP prez shilled for polluters." The Birmingham News
- Johnson, Roy S. (September 13, 2018) "Hezekiah Jackson suspended by national NAACP, pending hearing on allegations." The Birmingham News