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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BLACK HISTORY MONTH--HAROLD JACKSON
______
HON. KATHY CASTOR
of florida
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a third-
generation servant leader from my community of Tampa, Florida, Harold
A. Jackson, Jr. who was born at Tampa Negro Hospital to the late
Jacqueline Haynes Jackson and the late Harold A. Jackson, Sr. Jackson
learned about service at a young age as his father served in the U.S.
Army during World War II and returned to Tampa to become one of our
hometown's pioneering African American civil rights attorneys and led
local desegregation efforts. His mother was a beloved educator and
retired after 33 years as an elementary school teacher in Tampa.
Mr. Jackson followed in his parents' footsteps of service and
dedicated his professional life to the health and well-being of our
community. In 1978, Mr. Jackson started a 30-year plus career with the
Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. He
rose through the ranks to become a Recreation Area Supervisor during a
time of tremendous growth and change for this county. He planned,
organized and directed the overall operations of community-based
recreation programs, which are critical in promoting healthy,
prosperous and connected communities as well as building social equity
and support for working families. During his tenure with Hillsborough
County, he continued to build on his legacy of community service. For
27 years, he served on the board of directors for Tampa Family Health
Centers, a federally qualified health center. He was elected chair and
vice chair of the board of directors on several occasions. During this
time, Tampa Family Health Centers grew from one clinic to 14 and
greatly expanded access to comprehensive health care services for
hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, especially uninsured or
underinsured individuals.
After retiring from the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and
Conservation Department, Mr. Jackson began a leadership role for Tampa
Family Health Centers as Community Relations Liaison. He truly extends
himself to help meet the needs of the medically underserved, whoever
and wherever they are. His efforts while serving on my 14th
Congressional District of Florida Puerto Rico Recovery and Assistance
Task Force were nothing short of extraordinary and very meaningful at a
time when displaced Puerto Rican families faced significant challenges
in re-establishing their lives following the devastating landfall of
Hurricane Maria in 2017. Mr. Jackson ensured families who relocated to
Tampa had access without barriers to the services of Tampa Family
Health Centers, facilitating their medical appointments to cut down on
wait times with scheduling and transportation challenges.
He is a graduate of St. Peter Claver Catholic School in Tampa, a 125-
year old historically black school that today proudly continues to
provide families and students excellence in education. Mr. Jackson
returned to St. Peter Claver to serve on the school's board of
directors and in 1994, as president of the school's development
council, he launched a $2 million capital campaign to establish a
state-of-the-art learning environment. Mr. Jackson also graduated from
Tampa Catholic High School in 1974 and went on to complete his criminal
justice degree from the University of Tampa.
Mr. Jackson strongly exhibits the unequivocal mark of a servant
leader, one who quietly aspires and inspires leadership by consummately
doing good--going the extra mile. His contributions to community
initiatives are numerous--helping to launch the University Area
Community Development Corporation, cofounding a youth council in our
community that has now grown to be one of its largest and serving as
organizer for Tampa's largest Veterans Day Parade.
Madam Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Tampa Bay community, I am
proud to recognize Mr. Harold A. Jackson, Jr. for his servant's heart
and carrying forth his family's legacy of community service across the
Tampa Bay Area.
____________________
