Albert Jackson (mail carrier) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Jackson
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| Born | 1857 |
| Died | January 14, 1918 (aged 60–61) |
Albert Jackson (2 November 1857 — 14 January 1918) was the first Black Canadian mail carrier in Toronto. Jackson faced discrimination when he started his position in 1882 and was reassigned as mail porter. When the decision was reversed by Prime Minister John A. Macdonald in order to win votes for the 1882 Canadian federal election, Jackson continued his mail carrier career from 1882 until his 1918 death. Jackson was posthumously honored with a plaque by Heritage Toronto in 2017 and a stamp by Canada Post in 2019.
Personal life
Born in 1857 in Milford, Delaware, Jackson grew up in a family with eight siblings. His parents were John and Ann Maria Jackson. After his two eldest children were sold away from the family, John went insane. He died in a poor house. After learning that four more of her children were to be sold, his mother fled with seven of her children to St. Catharines, Ontario via the Underground Railroad. Ultimately, the two eldest children, Richard and James, were reunited with the family.
Jackson was married and had four children. He died on 14 January 1918.
Career
On 12 May 1882, Jackson began working at the Toronto General Post Office and became the first black mail carrier in Toronto. At the beginning of his career, Jackson was refused training by his post office colleagues and was discriminated against due to racism. After he was given his new position of mail porter, Black Canadians living in Toronto during the 1880s objected to Jackson's change of position. In order to win votes for the 1882 Canadian federal election, Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald convinced the post office to give Jackson back his job of mail carrier. When Jackson resumed his mail carrier career, he stayed with the post office until his 1918 death.
Honours
In 2013, a street in Toronto's Harbord Village was named Albert Jackson Lane in honour of Jackson. Other posthumous honors include a Heritage Toronto plaque in 2017 and a Canada Post stamp in 2019.
