Reverend J. H. Jackson and the National Baptist Convention, 1900-1990
Reverend Joseph H. Jackson was the longest-serving president of the National Baptist Convention, serving in that role from 1953-1982, and pastor at Olivet Baptist Church on Chicago’s South Side from 1941 until his death in 1990. During his presidency of the National Baptist Convention, at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, Jackson spoke about the importance of loyalty to the federal government and emphasized the ballot as the strongest weapon in obtaining civil rights. Jackson’s stance put him in conflict with other Baptist leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., who favored nonviolent civil disobedience to achieve civil rights reforms. The Jackson Papers span from 1889-2003 but focus on the period from 1950-1990. A major series of National Baptist Convention records includes Jackson’s correspondence during his time as the organization’s president, minutes of meetings, Jackson’s annual addresses to the National Baptist Convention, and some of his writings on civil rights and civil disobedience. The collection also includes a major series of Jackson sermons from 1928-1988, and personal records focused on his years as a graduate student from 1925-1945.