[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 30, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF PIONEER RADIO MAN HAL JACKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 30, 2012

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I stand with a heavy heart as I honor Harold 
B. ``Hal'' Jackson who recently passed away. It is a testament to his 
vitality and passion that he devoted over seventy years of his life 
entertaining America's radio audiences and was still working only a few 
weeks before he left us at the age of 96. I remember fondly the life of 
a man who broke down numerous racial barriers: Mr. Jackson was the 
first black announcer in network radio, the first black M.C. of a 
network jazz show, the first host of an interracial network jazz show 
and the first host of an interracial network television presentation.
  The death of Hal Jackson brought immense sorrow to me, his family and 
friends, and to the countless people who loved and respected his 
groundbreaking work in radio. The announcer, M.C., host and executive 
never looked back after he got a foot in the door of radio in the 
1930s. He would go on to acquire the first radio station to be owned 
and operated by blacks.
  Mr. Jackson was probably born on November 3rd, 1915 in Charleston, 
South Carolina. Like many Southern blacks at the time, his birth was 
not officially recorded. After growing up in Washington, D.C., he 
attended Howard University, where he began his broadcasting career by 
announcing the play-by-play home games for Howard and other schools in 
addition to Negro League games. Only a few years later, Mr. Jackson's 
voice could be heard on three distinct stations each day. His broad 
skill set allowed him to thrive hosting news interview programs, sports 
shows and, later, music programs.
  After moving to New York City, Mr. Jackson once again could be heard 
daily on three different radio stations, the only New York City radio 
personality with that exposure. Each night, four million people tuned 
to hear his interviews with jazz and show business greats and to enjoy 
his eclectic musical taste. By the early 1960s, he had begun his 
decades-long run as a radio executive, a position in which he excelled, 
even if he felt the itch to host again in 1982, returning to a seat in 
front of the microphone.
  Mr. Jackson's contributions to Harlem, in particular, should stand 
out in our minds. His numerous concerts and live broadcasts from the 
Apollo Theater brought joy both into our homes and into our hearts. The 
work he did behind the scenes at Inner City Broadcasting helped to grow 
America's first major black-owned radio empire.
  Mr. Jackson will long be remembered for his creative and charismatic 
radio broadcasts, as well as his important place in the Civil Rights 
Movement. In his own words, ``When I started, the business was so 
segregated. Fortunately, that didn't last long.'' Stretching back to 
the 1940s, he was a civil rights fundraiser. In the 1950s, with his 
popularity perhaps at an apex, both black and white listeners 
enthusiastically tuned in to his three daily shows. Later, Mr. Jackson 
was one of the first people to lobby for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 
In 1990, he became the first African American inductee to the National 
Association of Broadcasters.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor this great man, and I ask my 
colleagues to join me in celebrating his life by remembering his 
tremendous contributions to American culture and society. The death of 
Hal is a great loss to our country and to New York City. We will all 
miss his skill and passion both behind the microphone and as a radio 
executive. We give our condolences to his wife, Debi, his two daughters 
and son, and all of his family and friends.

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