News Release

Event to honor Reverend William Jackson

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Date: August 15, 2018
Contact: Emily G. Prigot, 508-996-4095 x 6105

turn of the century photograph of an elderly, well-dressed black man
Rev. William Jackson
Reverend William Jackson, famed abolitionist, friend of Frederick Douglass, and first African-American officer of the US Army, was born on August 18, 1818. On the bicentennial of his birth, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Historical Society are working together to honor his life with a series of events. On Saturday, August 18 at 11:00AM, Valerie Craigwell White, a descendant of Jackson, will offer a public program in the Union Baptist Church, 109 Court Street. Ms. White is an Ombudsperson at Lewis & Clark's Graduate School of Professional Studies. Then on Sunday, August 19, at 2:00PM, she will offer another look into his life with a slideshow at the National Park visitor center, 33 William Street.
 
Jackson served the Massachusetts 54th and 55th Volunteer Infantry Regiments as chaplain. Join his great great-granddaughter, Ms.White, who will bring Rev. Jackson and his extended family to life through anecdotes and images in this collaboration between the National Park Service and the New Bedford Historical Society. The public will also be presented with a mayoral proclamation declaring August 18, Rev. William Jackson Day. These activities are part of the National Park Service’s Bicentennial Celebration of the life of Frederick Douglass, in which Douglass, his times, and legacy are honored.
 
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The visitor center is wheelchair-accessible, and is free of charge. For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov/nebe or visit the park’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NewBedfordNPS Everyone finds their park in a different way. Discover yours at FindYourPark.com
 
                                                                  www.nps.gov
 
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
                                                                         -NPS-
 



Last updated: August 15, 2018

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