It is said the third time is the charm! After rescheduling “Mr. Marshall Comes to
Hillburn” twice, Travis W. Jackson’s presentation was well-received by an attentive audience. In honor of Black History Month and to honor his father’s legacy, Travis W. Jackson, for the first time, shared his father’s research. Travis’ father Dr. Travis E. Jackson was a student at the Brook School in Hillburn, NY when a young attorney named Thurgood Marshall represented the NAACP in the fight to desegregate Hillburn schools. Dr. Jackson researched the history of legal battle creating a primary source photo documentary of the era. Until his death in 2021, he lectured sharing these significant moment in Civil Rights history marking our local contribution 11 years before the Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education.
Attendees also viewed Two Schools in Hillburn, a documentary by Joe Allen. One guest stated, “I learned for the first time the plague of prejudice local families of color faced during this time.” At the end of the question-and-answer period, Travis asked everyone to continue to share the story of Hillburn’s courageous parents who wanted the best for their children, and how they prevailed despite local biases.
Scroll down to watch Two Schools in Hillburn documentary by Joe Allen.
(Youtube 4:00min)
