[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 97 (Friday, June 7, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. MYRNA JACKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 7, 2024

  Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the extraordinary life and 
legacy of Mrs. Myrna Carter Jackson, a civil rights activist and 
community leader in Birmingham, Alabama, who passed away on May 31, 
2024, at the age of 82.
  Mrs. Jackson was born on July 9, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama as one 
of eight children to the late Willie George Carter and Willie Lee 
Ledger. After graduating from A.H. Parker High School at the age of 
sixteen, she attended Barbara Durr Beauty College in 1965 and obtained 
a license in cosmetology. Later in life, she continued her educational 
journey at Lawson State Community College and Miles College, graduating 
with a bachelor's degree in social work in 2000.
  Mrs. Jackson became involved in the Civil Rights Movement at an early 
age, serving as the First Vice President of the Metro Birmingham Branch 
of NAACP. After the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, she 
participated in the Children's March and Monday Masses, organized by 
the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and Reverend Fred 
Shuttlesworth. In response to her peaceful demonstration, Mrs. Jackson 
was jailed twice and spent more than three weeks in the Birmingham 
Jail. She experienced violence and troubling conditions during her 
incarceration but drew strength from the support and comradery that she 
received from other members of the Movement.
  A dedicated community leader, Mrs. Jackson's commitment to service 
was the throughline of her career. She served as a certified substitute 
teacher for several Birmingham schools, provided social services and 
workforce development to survivors of Hurricane Katrina, facilitated 
job training for students through the Birmingham Works for Youth, and 
served as Commissioner of the Housing Authority of the Birmingham 
District. As a member of the Top Ladies of Distinction, she worked with 
Top Teens of America to provide scholarships and funding for students.
  Even later in life, Mrs. Jackson's commitment to the ideals of the 
Civil Rights Movement never wavered. In 2009, she organized a 
conference with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the FBI to 
promote healthy dialogue between youth and law enforcement. In 2017, 
she helped commemorate the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 
and went on to serve as the Interim President for the Metro Birmingham 
Branch of the NAACP.
  Mrs. Jackson received much recognition for her remarkable leadership 
and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. She was honored by the 
Metro Birmingham Branch of the NAACP in 2013 for the 50th anniversary 
of the Civil Rights Movement. In 2017, she was selected by The 
HistoryMakers for an oral history interview of her incredible life 
story.
  Mrs. Jackson is preceded in death by her husband, Issic Jackson; 
parents Willie George Carter and Willie Lee Ledger; and three brothers, 
Gilbert Carter, Alfred Lee Carter, and John Carter. She is survived by 
two sons Jeffery Jackson and Michael Jackson; one granddaughter Denitra 
Streeter; one grandson Kieron Jackson; one brother Willie Carter Jr.; 
four sisters Sylvia Weatherspoon, Lee Edna Boone, Iris Elom, and Wanda 
Morton, and a host of cousins, friends, and church members.
  On a personal note, Mrs. Jackson was a source of great inspiration 
for me and so many young Black women. A trailblazer and pioneer, she 
was devoted to her community, her family, and the power of the Civil 
Rights and Voting Rights Movement. It is because of the courage, 
bravery, and strength of Foot Soldiers like Myrna Carter Jackson that 
we enjoy the freedoms we have today. Her life is a testament to the 
power of ordinary Americans to achieve extraordinary social change. May 
we find comfort in knowing that she lived a full and blessed life, and 
that her legacy will live on in the lives she touched.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy 
of Mrs. Myrna Carter Jackson and her many contributions to the City of 
Birmingham, the State of Alabama, and our Nation. May she Rest in Peace 
and Power.

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