Lexington honors first black constable, naming November 19th, Fred Jackson Day

On Friday, the city designated November 19th as Fred Jackson Day.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The year was 1965 when Lexington’s Fred Jackson broke a color barrier in kentucky by becoming the first African-American to be elected constable in this state.
He’s no longer with us, but his legacy lives on through his family and the countless lives he touched along the way.
On Friday, the city designated November 19th as Fred Jackson Day.

“He wasn’t afraid of anything. This is the honest truth. He believed he could conquer the world. That was my father,” says Ronald Jackson, the eldest of Fred Jackson’s 8 children. Ronald says his father made history just by offering a helping hand.

“Think of a black person back in those times. It was so difficult, you had to get out and campaign, you can’t campaign with only black folks, you can’t campaign with only white folks, you have to with everybody, so he got his name around and he won that election,” explains Ronald.

Jackson was a veteran of world war two, Ronald says it was in his blood to always serve others on the clock and off, especially during holidays.

“On Thanksgiving and Christmas, he’d get us all together and says, we going out to deliver food and so we fussed saying we didn’t want to do that but he insisted. We would take it to communities where people need food,” says Ronald.

Jackson wore a couple other hats. He was a civil rights activist and he ran a youth center to help keep kids off the streets.

“The way he did his job was not only to enforce the law but to have compassion for those who were having problems,” says Chief Deputy James Smith.

Jackson died in 2007, still Ronald says people who knew his father when they were children tell his dad’s stories as adults.

“I was at the grocery store once and this guy came up to me and said I just love your father. My life was spiraling downhill but your dad taught me how to box, then my energy was channeled to boxing versus beating people up and that really changed my life,” recalls Ronald.

Chief deputy Smith says he met Jackson when he was a kid and says he was inspired to be just like him one day.
He believes his teachings and values are still relevant today.

“That everything starts with trying to either better yourself, better your choices and better people around you,” says Smith.