Hortense Tate Scholarship Recipient 2023
Hortense Tate Scholarship Essay

Montclair's history is rooted in a deep and rich diverse community with many untapped stories waiting to be told. One story in particular has resonated with me since I first heard it. It is the hardest stories to find that have the most impact. The story of William E. Jackson and the cross burning outside of his house in 1925, has heavily impacted me. This event was a pivotal moment in Montclair's history that has been swept under the rug. And now, I will tell his story as accurately as I can.

William E. Jackson was the owner of Montclair Construction and a graduate of Columbia University of mixed-race descent. His dad was from Ireland and his mom was from Florida. During the cross-burning, he proposed to Bloomfield resident Helen Burns, a white woman. According to a New York Times article, a cross was burned at his home at 18 Lexington Ave in protest of the wedding. Despite my efforts, I was unable to locate any records of the marriage. For example on the 1930 United States Federal Census, a 39 year old Jackson was single.

This incident occurred 42 years before the Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia. What Mr. Jackson, a successful businessman and Ivy League graduate had to endure as a result of his race, is a testament to the hardships African-Americans have faced all over this country. However, Montclair has made steps towards equality. The Montclair NAACP was established in 1916. In 1928, Miss Laura Lewis refused to move from a seat in the Clairidge theater. In 1912, the first black YWCA was established. And now Montclair is home to a population of 10,000 African Americans who make up the beautifully diverse black diaspora. I am proud to be one of those people. It is important that we remember the story of William E. Jackson and use it as a reminder of how far we have come as a community. We must strive to continue to make progress.