Clarksburg City Council member Marc Jackson is the focus of the city’s second resident spotlight for Black History Month.

Jackson is well known throughout the area for his leadership, dedication to public service, and lasting impact on the community. His commitment to Clarksburg and its residents continues to make a meaningful difference locally and across the region.

For Jackson, serving Clarksburg is about more than holding public office. It is also about honoring his history, celebrating his heritage, and continuing a legacy of progress, representation, and community pride.

“Black history month is extremely important to me as I feel this is an opportunity to showcase the many accomplishments of African Americans over the years. The significance of the month-long celebration has changed over the years as before I felt as though I was a spectator just watching things evolve around me. Over the course of time I’ve come to realize that I am part of that change that is continually happening in America. I used to look mainly at the strides that we’ve made over the years. Now, I realize the strides we’ve made came at the expense of great struggles and sacrifice,” he said.

One person who had a profound impact on his life was his father, who instilled many values he still carries today, Jackson said.

“My father would have to be that most influential individual in my life. He taught me how to accept being loved and that the inclusion of discipline didn’t mean I wasn’t loved; it was something that happened because I was loved. He also taught me work ethic. When I was about ten years old, my father would leave for work every Sunday morning. One Sunday I insisted that I wanted to go to work with him. We walked from about the parking garage in downtown to the Foodland warehouse in Hepzibah. I was exhausted when I got there,” he said.

“I did learn to drive a stand-up forklift that day. But after not listening to the directions he gave me, I crashed it into a wall and knocked a hole in the wall. I was done driving for the day. Then on top of that we had to walk back to Clarksburg. If memory serves me correctly, we were picked up by someone driving by and driven into town. I understood what he did to put food on the table for our family. And this was his second job.”
Over the course of his career, Jackson said he has had no shortage of proud moments, but one particularly stands out above the rest.

“I think one of the proudest moments for me was when Pastor David Kate’s was named Mayor of Clarksburg. Second to that I would have to say when the Black Heritage Festival first started and we would wander up and down E.B. Saunders Way, meeting with family and friends. But the real joy was joy came in watching the older people who had attended Kelly Miller High School, reunite and tell stories about their time growing up and attending school at Kelly Miller High School and the pride displayed when they talked about it,” he said.

While Black History Month is often a time for celebration and reflection, it is also a time for education. Jackson said he hopes everyone takes away one lesson above all.

“The one lesson that I feel everyone should carry forward all year long about Black History is that Black History is American History and if you erase black history, you are erasing a part of America. A lot of it is painful to look at and learn, but it’s still history and needs to be taught and remembered, so that we never go down those paths again. History has proven that we as people are stronger together and able to make greater strides.”

Among the many people who make a difference in the Clarksburg community, Jackson said one man deserves more recognition for the work he does around the city.
“The one person whom I’ve always admired is my late father’s best friend James Griffin. I watched him for many years take a stand in the face of adversity and take on battles no one else seemed interested in dealing with. He is still on the front lines today,” he said.
Jackson closed out his interview with a final message.

“I would like for people to remember that we’re dealing with some very adverse conditions in our country right now. People of color are under attack, and it is paramount that we come together. We must stand shoulder to shoulder to fight the oppressive entities that would like to see us held back,” Jackson said.

“We must leverage our financial strength to punish big companies that don’t want to give African Americans a fair shot at succeeding. We as a people aren’t asking for anything more than a chance to prove we as just a capable as anyone of doing anything. Anyone who looks back into African American history can see for themselves that for years we have learned to adapt and overcome.”