Life and Career of Hal Jackson, A Pioneer
Hal Jackson is a man of many firsts:
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The first Black radio announcer on network radio
The first Black radio announcer on network radio •The first Black inducted in the Radio Hall of Fame.
The first Black inducted in the Radio Hall of Fame. •The first Black host of a jazz show on the ABC network.
The first Black host of a jazz show on the ABC network. •The first Black to do play-by-play sports announcing on radio
The first Black to do play-by-play sports announcing on radio •The first Black to host an interracial network show on NBC-TV
The first Black to host an interracial network show on NBC-TV •The first person to broadcast from a theater, live.
The first person to broadcast from a theater, live. •He organized and was one of the owners of the first Black team to win the World's Basketball Championship.
He organized and was one of the owners of the first Black team to win the World's Basketball Championship. •The first Black host of an international network television presentation
The first Black host of an international network television presentation •He was instrumental in acquiring the first radio station owned and operated by Blacks in NYC.
He was instrumental in acquiring the first radio station owned and operated by Blacks in NYC. •At a time when Black women were prohibited from entering beauty pageants, he founded Hal Jackson's Talented Teen International contest.
At a time when Black women were prohibited from entering beauty pageants, he founded Hal Jackson's Talented Teen International contest.There is more to Hal than just his successes in radio, television and business. Hal Jackson has always been a champion for youth, whether it’s collecting toys and clothing during the Christmas season or supporting the dreams of young people looking for careers in the entertainment field. In the early 1970s, Jackson began a teen talent competition for African American girls who were not offered the same privileges their white counterparts enjoyed. Today, Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens International competition continues to provide a showcase for young women of color, and awards them with much needed college scholarships.
Hal Jackson is honored by many, from media organizations such as The National Association of Broadcasters to national institutions such as The Smithsonian Institution where he is considered a “national treasure”, and by community and civic organizations.
Until his passing in 2012 at the age of 97 Hal Jackson arrived at the studios of WBLS-FM in New York City, every Sunday morning where he hostedd one of the most popular radio programs in the history of New York radio, “Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics.” It is a show he created and developed when he was 67 years old proving he knew iwhat people wanted to hear!
Hal Jackson in Pictures
