Civil rights leader to be honored

By: Brittany Whitley Staff Writer | Opelika Auburn News
Published: November 19, 2009

True Deliverance Holiness Church will honor a community leader Saturday with an evening of reflection — “The Man, The Dream, The Legacy.” The program will honor Lindburgh Jackson, a local civil rights leader and the first black man to be elected to the Auburn City Council.
The event will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at True Deliverance Holiness Church, 936 N. Donahue Drive, in Auburn.
Annette Pitts, a church member, said Jackson has done so much for the community that the True Deliverance wanted to honor him.
“It’s just something they’re trying to do in honor of him, and setting aside a date just for him,” Pitts said. “Before there was a Bo Jackson there was a Lindburgh Jackson paving the way.”
When asked about his service, Jackson said he spent much of his time “trying to get elected officials to do the right thing about people, regardless of their race or color.”
Jackson, who was elected to the Auburn City Council in 1978 and served as president of the Alabama Democratic Conference in Lee County, targeted election candidates and elected officials with surveys asking them if they would allow black men and women work on their staffs.
“You were breaking all kinds of barriers,” Jackson said. “Blacks were not allowed to do in politics, blacks were not allowed to eat in restaurants, they were always served in the rear.”
There was also a time when Auburn didn’t celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Jackson said. He said when King’s birthday was set aside as a federal holiday, he, and others, petitioned the local government and school boards to close in remembrance.
“Auburn was the last one to submit to it,” Jackson said.
Although Jackson says civil rights have come a long way since then, there are still advances to be made.
Jackson said young black man need to become more involved in the community and understand their history.
“They need to know how far we’ve come; we need to be able to draw these people into the movement. (We need to) instill something into our young people… that’s one of the things we’re trying to focus on now. We’ve made great strides.”
Jackson said that the church is planning on providing workshops for young community members. He encourages those interested to call 334-220-5069.