Meet the President & CEO

       The undisputed Queen of Gospel Music, Mahalia “Halie” Jackson, daughter of John A. and Charity Jackson, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 26, 1911. She is considered by many as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Jackson grew up in the Carrolton-Hollygrove section of the city in a neighborhood called the Black Pearl. The classic uptown New Orleans-style “shotgun” homes typically housed numerous people and often pets. Popular folklore associated with the name “shotgun” is said to have originated from a remark (author unknown) that stated, "If you fired a shotgun through the open front door, pellets would travel straight through each room and out the back door in case someone tried to escape." In addition, the name may have derived from the West African Yoruba word ‘togun,’ which translates to “house.” Her mother died when she was about five years old and in the tradition of many African American homes, Mahalia went to live with her aunt, Mahala Clark-Paul. 

     At the National Baptist Convention in August of 1956, Jackson met Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy who introduced her to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Months later, they asked her to assist them in a fun-raiser by singing at a rally in Montgomery, Alabama for the bus boycott. Jackson lived with the Abernathy’s while in Alabama. The concert was on December 6, 1956, and raised significant money to support the cause. In a landmark case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. However, the ruling was not implemented with all deliberate speed. When Jackson returned to Dr. Abernathy’s home early in 1957, she was surprised it had been bombed. In fact, there were four church bombings and two homes bombed on January 10, 1957. The bombings prohibited Drs. King and Abernathy from attending an organizing meeting of the Southern Leadership Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration in Atlanta, Georgia.

     The Detroit Council on Human Rights sponsored an event on June 23, 1963, where over 125, 000 people gathered at Cabo Arena to hear Dr. King speak. In addition to the Officers of the SCLC, Jackson was also there as a supporter. It was the culmination of the Detroit Walk to Freedom which was the precursor to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was there that Dr. King first spoke about the “Dream.” Two months later, Dr. King spoke to the largest crowd of Civil Rights activists in the history of the United States. According to Dr. Clarence B. Jones, former speechwriter, and advisor to Dr. King, as he was near completion, “Mahalia, who was sitting near the podium shouted, ‘Tell them about the dream Martin, tell them about the dream!” Dr. Jones further states that Dr. King moved his speech to the left of the podium and began the closing that resonated throughout history.

     Mahalia “Halie” Jackson (1911-1972) received multiple Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mahalia collapsed after a performance in Germany and later died on January 27, 1972, in Chicago at the age of 60. She was laid to rest at Providence Park Cemetery in metropolitan New Orleans. The Theater of Performing Arts and an elementary school (formerly McDonogh Number 36) is named in her honor by the City of New Orleans.

LeBan, L.A. (2024). New Orleans Gift of Music to Modern Civil Rights. Southern Christian Leadership Conference National Magazine/2024 King  Issue, pp. 15-16, Copyright 2024.