Jewell Jackson McCabe (born August 2, 1945) is an American feminist, business executive, social and political activist. She was a leader of, and spokesperson for, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women's movement[1][2][3] in the mid to late 1970s in New York City and for the national movement throughout the United States in the early 1980s into the 1990s, as founder of the organization which grew out of her New York City stewardship. In 1993 she became the first woman in 84 years to be in serious contention[4] for the presidency of the civil rights organizations NAACP. Distinguished as an activist Jewell collaborated with several leading African American women leaders of varied and often opposing political ideologies who had in common their opposition to the million man march for excluding black women, including Angela Davis.[5]

Jewell Jackson McCabe
Jewell in 1993
Born
Jewell Alyce Jackson

(1945-08-02) August 2, 1945 (age 79)
EducationThe High School of Performing Arts
Alma materBard College (BA)
Occupations
  • Strategic communications
  • executive coach
  • presidential, gubernatorial, mayoral appointee
Spouse
Frederick E. Ward
(m. 1964; div. 1975)
Eugene L. McCabe
(m. 1975; div. 1984)
Partner(s)Eugene L. McCabe
(1967-1975)
Parents
RelativesHarold B. Jackson Jr. (brother)

Early life

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Jewell Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., on August 2, 1945, to Harold "Hal" B. Jackson and Julia [nee Hawkins] Jackson. Hal Jackson [broadcast pioneer] and his partner Percy E. Sutton [politician] started Inner City Broadcasting.[6] ICB began after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ruled that there be an increase in black radio and television. ICB owned eighteen radio stations including WBLS-FM where Hal was a broadcaster. Hal was known as the "Godfather of Black Radio" and opened doors of opportunity to countless artists – Valerie Simpson and Alicia Keys'performed during Hal Jackson's funeral.[7] Julia, Jewell's mother, was active with The Links, Incorporated, the Urban League Guild, and Jack and Jill. Jewell's earliest influences also came from her paternal aunts. Her aunt Alice [Jackson] Cornish was an elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C., one of the first to integrate Washington, D.C.'s elementary school system in the early 20th century. An accomplished pianist Essie [Jackson] Goldwire was the first black to graduate from the Boston Conservatory of Music. Jewell's older sister was an elementary school teacher.[8] Jewell's older brother, Hal B. Jackson, Jr. was appointed a Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge in 1972 by Governor Pat Lucy,[9] making HBJ, Jr.the first African-American Judge in the state of Wisconsin. Hal Jr. had attended Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts, (he has been inducted into the Lawrence Academy Hall of Fame) and both Colgate and Marquette University.[10]

Early career

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Jewell Jackson McCabe was elected to the board of the Women's Forum in 1975 under the leadership of her friend and colleague founding President Elinor Guggenheimer. In 1977 as part of the campaign to support New York City, during the aftermath of the 1975 fiscal crisis — the Women's Forum represented by Ellen Sulzberger Straus who organized, recruited and joined with Jewell Jackson McCabe, President, Coalition of Black Women and Marife Hernandez, President, of the Conference of Puerto Rican Women —  together as co-chairs they formed WUNY (Women United for New York) to promote unity, mutual support and gain recognition for the impact the city's female leadership had on the economic health of New York.[11]

Her strategic communications company is a full service minority owned organization, combining a broad range of marketing skill, competitiveness training on effective internal and external management capabilities. As strategic communications consultant - Jewell institutionalized Panasonic Kid Witness News, running the program for a decade — the company brought the successful program inside creating an operating business unit to takeover program management. This occurred after JJMcC Associates developed the Essex County focused Panasonic pilot marketing program for 5th and sixth graders.  Jewell expanded the initial 17 elementary schools in the New York City metro tri-state area to 200 schools nationally — in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Jewell's design included methodology utilizing teacher and student training videos. The refreshed design engaged students nationally in competition naming various categories of their videos. Panasonic provided fully equipped video studios per school for their student hands-on video education initiative. A high visibility gala showcasing videos in an annual student competition — culminating in an "A-kid-emy Awards" dinner program for students, their parents and teachers.[12]

On October 18, 1994, the United States William Jefferson Clinton attended the Democratic National Committee Jewish Leadership Forum dinner at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The President announced his intention to appoint Jewell Jackson McCabe to be the first African American member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council with oversight of the Holocaust Museum,[13] where she was a member of the Holocaust Council's congressionally mandated Committee on Conscience. Governor Mario M. Cuomo appointed Jewell Jackson McCabe to the New York State Council on Fiscal and Economic priorities; he also appointed her chair of the New York State's Job Training Partnership Council.

 
NORTHSIDE CENTER —Where Children Rise Up and Thrive Gala — Left to Right — Eugene "Gene" McCabe, President, North General Hospital; Jewell Jackson McCabe, Founding President, NCBW; Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark & Dr. Kenneth B. Clark, Renowned American Psychologists & Historic Witnesses in Briggs v. Elliott (1952) pivotal case in Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
 
Ebony (magazine) feature story on Jewell Jackson McCabe her founding the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and establishing their signature awards recognition the Candace Award held annually at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accolades and honors

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Jewell Featured in "I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America" — an award-winning and critically acclaimed photographic exhibition by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Brian Lanker— opened at the Corcoran Gallery of Art Washington, D.C., 1989.
 
Celebrating the New York Public Library annual gala May 22, 11PM.: Jewell Jackson McCabe, left, with Carolyne Rohem and Gayfryd Steinberg, who was responsible for the table decorations.

Jewell Jackson McCabe became an honorary member of the first black female sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha founded in 1908.

In April 1993 Jewell Jackson McCabe was the lead candidate of four finalists in the NAACP presidential campaign."[4][14]

References

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  1. ^ Brozan, Nadine (1981-10-26). "COALITION OF BLACK WOMEN GOES NATIONAL". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  2. ^ Noel, Pamela. "New Battler for Black Women"
  3. ^ "1950 to Present". Oxford African American Studies Center. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  4. ^ a b O'Hanlon, Ann (1993-04-18). "GRASS ROOTS AND GLASS CEILINGS". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  5. ^ "Opinion | Riders on the Storm (Published 1995)". The New York Times. 1995-10-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  6. ^ Black women in America : an historical encyclopedia. Darlene Clark Hine, Elsa Barkley Brown, Rosalyn Terborg-Penn. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 1994. ISBN 0-253-32774-1. OCLC 28334683.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ^ Watkins, Mel (2012-05-24). "Hal Jackson, 96, New York Broadcaster Who Broke Racial Barriers in Radio, Dies (Published 2012)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  8. ^ Feinberg, Laurence (1977-06-13). "New Student Amy Became a Class Leader". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  9. ^ Watkins, Mel (2012-05-24). "Hal Jackson, 96, New York Broadcaster Who Broke Racial Barriers in Radio, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  10. ^ "Honorable Harold Jackson - Sunday, February 14th, 2016". www.schramkafuneralhome.com. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  11. ^ Brozan, Nadine (1977-04-19). "Women United Back on the Scene, Unified". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  12. ^ "What is KWN? - Overview - Kid Witness News - About Us - Panasonic Global". www.panasonic.com. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  13. ^ "Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II) - Digest of Other White House Announcements". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  14. ^ Lewis, Neil A. (1993-04-03). "Friends Say Jackson May Withdraw From N.A.A.C.P. Campaign". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-04.

Further reading

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  • Lanker, Brian. I Dream a World, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989, pp. 82–83.
  • Notable Black American Women, edited by Jessie Carney Smith, Gale, 1990, pp. 693–694.
  • "New York Times", October 26, 1981, Brozan, Nadine, Coalition Goes National https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/26/style/coalition-of-black-women-goes-national.html
  • NYTimes Opinion Page "Riders on the Storm" Published: October 15, 1995, NYTimes.com
  • "New York Times" "Style At Plaza and Met Echoes of the Past"October 2, 198♙ https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/02/style/at-plaza-and-met-echoes-of-the-past.html
  • "New York Times" "Style Black Women Discuss Issue of Power"January 1, 198♙ https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/26/style/black-women-discuss-issue-of-power.html
  • Atlanta Journal and Constitution, March 23, 1993, p. 13D.
  • Boston Globe, March 19, 1992, p. 79.
  • Chicago Tribune, January 10, 1993, p. 9.
  • Noel, Pamela. "New Battler for Black Women", Ebony, February 1984, pp. 43–50;
  • Ebony, September 1988, pp. 52–55; July 1993, pp. 68–71.
  • Encyclopedia of African American Business
  • "On the Rise: Jewell McCabe", Fortune, August 17, 1987, p. 93.
  • Newsweek, September 5, 1994, p. 36.
  • "Volunteerism: New Paths", The New York Times, June 3, 1979, p. 56.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer, April 3, 1995, p. 9A.
  • New York Voice, Black Women In Focus, "First Candace Awards Herald Black [Women] Achievement", Saturday, October 9, 1982.
  • Keetley, Dawn; Pettegrew, John (2002). Public Women, Public Words: 1960 to the present. Madison House. ISBN 978-0-7425-2235-0.
  • Middlebury College Magazine. Middlebury College. 1985.
  • The New York Times Magazine. New York Times. 1995-10
  • Carey), New York (State) Governor (1975-1982 :; Carey, Hugh L. (1994). Public Papers of Hugh L. Carey, Fifty-first Governor of the State of New York, 1981. The State.
  • Constitution, United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the (2012). Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, on H.R. 3541, December 6, 2011. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • Cuomo), New York (State) Governor (1983-:; Cuomo, Mario Matthew (1990). Public Papers of Governor Mario M. Cuomo, 1986. State of New York.
  • Lester, Joan Steinau (1996-10-01). Taking Charge: Every Woman's Action Guide to Personal, Political & Professional Success. Conari Press. ISBN 978-1-60925-697-5.
  • Carbado, Devon (1999-07). Black Men on Race, Gender, and Sexuality: A Critical Reader. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-1552-9.
  • Springer, Kimberly (1999-08-01). Still Lifting, Still Climbing: Afric
  • Hine, Darlene Clark (1995). Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia. Carlson. ISBN 978-0-926019-61-4.
  • Smith, Jessie Carney (2006). Encyclopedia of African American Business: K-Z. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33111-4.
  • Onyx Woman. Jackson Pub. & Communications. 1998.
  • Upscale: The Successful Black Magazine. Upscale Communications. 1997.
  • Smith, Jessie Carney; Palmisano, Joseph M. (2000). Reference Library of Black America. Gale Group, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-7876-4365-2.
  • Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches. Bethune-DuBois Publications. 1997.
  • Strong Men & Women: The Series : Excellence in Leadership. Virginia Power/North Carolina Power. 2005.
  • Council, New York State Job Training Partnership (1986). Report of the New York State Job Training Partnership Council. The Council.
  • Committee, Committee for Economic Development Research and Policy; Development, Committee for Economic (1995). Who Will Pay for Your Retirement?: The Looming Crisis : a Statement. Committee for Economic Development. ISBN 978-0-87186-119-1
  • Governor's Coordination and Special Services Plan for JTPA and Related Programs in New York State ... New York State Job Training Partnership Council. 1988.
  • Governor, New York (State) (1989). Public Papers
  • Governor, New York (State) (1989). Public Papers [of the Governors].
  • Cuomo), New York (State) Governor (1983-:; Cuomo, Mario Matthew (1989). Public Papers of Governor Mario M. Cuomo, 1984. State of New York.
  • Bois, William Edward Burghardt Du (1983). Crisis. Crisis Publishing Company.
  • "1950 To Present." Oxford African American Studies Center, oxfordaasc.com/page/1950-to-present.
  • From Suffrage to the Senate: America's Political Women: An Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes & Issues (Two Volume Set)
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