The Democrats didn’t get enough votes to win the 118th Congress, but the First District of Chicago got enough votes to make Jonathan Luther Jackson our brand-new Congressman.
That’s good news for the south side of Chicago, because the first district includes the neighborhoods of Auburn Gresham, Burnside, Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing, almost all of West Englewood; the portion of Englewood south of 57th Street; the portion of Woodlawn west of Stony Island Avenue (excluding Jackson Park); the southern half of Kenwood; the eastern portion of Ashburn; parts of Avalon Park, Calumet Heights, Chicago Lawn, Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Hyde Park, Morgan Park, New City, Oakland, Roseland, South Shore, Washington Heights and Washington Park; the portion of Beverly southeast of 97th Street and Prospect Avenue; the portion of West Pullman southwest of 119th Street and Racine Avenue and approximately two square blocks of the northwest corner of South Chicago. It also includes suburban and rural areas, which Congressman Jackson has promised he will not ignore.
Some might say, that’s a lot of territory the new Congressman is responsible for; others may say, that’s a lot of people being blessed to have Representative Jonathan Jackson as their Congressman.
This son of a preacher man (Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr.) is following in the footsteps of many notable men who have served Chicago’s first district before him, including William Dawson (1943-1970); Ralph Metcalfe (1971-1978); Harold Washington (1981 – 1983); Charles Hayes (1983 -1993) and most recently, Bobby Rush (1993 – 2023).
From what we’ve seen of our new Congressman so far – he promises to be a very engaged, visible, and viable public servant, which is just what Chicago needs right now.
Recently, Congressman Jackson held a town hall meeting, celebrating his first one hundred days as a Congressman. One could tell right away, based on that meeting, that this Congressman will be refreshingly approachable, personable, and informative. He appears to be committed to educating the community about all aspects of Congress.
He told us he serves on two committees: One is the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which oversees and legislates on matters related to international relations, global diplomacy, and U. S. foreign policy; and also engages in crucial discussions shaping our nation’s interactions with other countries. As a member of the Subcommittee on Africa, he focuses on promoting strong bilateral relationships between the United States and African nations, addressing human rights, and fostering economic development and security in the region. Congressman Jackson has had the privilege of participating in Congressional Delegation trips to Kenya and Taiwan to strengthen diplomatic ties, foster economic cooperation and promote mutual understand between our nations.
Congressman Jackson also shared the fact that he took the advice of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and accepted a seat on the Agriculture Committee. This powerful committee oversees and legislates on matters related to agriculture, rural development, and the nation’s food supply. Congressman Jackson’s role in this committee demonstrates his commitment to supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
As a member of the subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture he works to ensure that nutritional assistance programs are efficient and effective, as well as advocating for robust agricultural trade and support for the horticulture industry.
He told us that his participation in the subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development allows him to address the needs of commodity markets, promote the responsible use of digital assets, and work towards the improvement of rural communities’ economic growth and infrastructure.
In addition to his committee assignments, he is also an active member of various caucuses within the United States House of Representatives, which include: the Black Maternal Mortality Caucus
- Launched by Congresswomen Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood, this caucus addresses the maternal mortality crisis in the United States and works to address racial disparities in pregnancy-related complications and infant mortality.
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
- Established in 1971, the CBC works to empower African Americans and marginalized communities by focusing on reforming the criminal justice system, combatting voter suppression, expanding access to education, healthcare, and technology, and strengthening protections for workers.
Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
- Established to commemorate the centennial of the Equal Rights Amendment, the ERA Caucus focuses on establishing constitutional gender equality as a national priority and partnering with a diverse coalition of advocates, activists, scholars, organizers, and public figures. Congressman Jackson told us that he is the only male in this caucus, and related how they were marching through the capital with a woman calling out “What do we want” and the respondents saying “Justice”; and because her voice was so soft Jackson took up the call, his voice booming: “What do we want?” “Justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!”
Congressional Heartland Caucus
- Launched by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, the Congressional Heartland Caucus represents the views, values, and issues of the American Heartland, including manufacturing, labor, agriculture, racial equity, rural healthcare, trade, broadband, and infrastructure.
Congressional Labor Caucus
- The Congressional Labor Caucus is committed to advancing policies that support workers and their families, promoting good jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting economic opportunity.
Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Comprising over 100 members of Congress, the Congressional Progressive Caucus champions progressive policy solutions such as comprehensive immigration reform, fair trade, universal healthcare, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy.
Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)
- With over 80 members, the SEEC is dedicated to advancing policies promoting clean energy, addressing climate change, and protecting the environment.
He candidly spoke about the upcoming Obama Center and stated that a Community Benefits Agreement was critical.
In terms of safe water, he noted that while twenty percent of the world’s fresh water comes from the Great Lakes, Chicago does not have access. “There is still brown water in pipes,” he said, “We have communities connected to the lake that still have poisonous water. The Congressman is committed to resolving the lead problem in Chicago, and making fresh, clean water available to everyone.
The legislation he has signed on to includes HR 40, the bill to study Reparations for descendants of those enslaved individuals who helped build this country. He also signed on to the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Child Labor Protection Act, the Act that would provide additional funding for HBCU students, Black Veterans’ Reparations, and a number of other bills.
He said the two biggest problems confronting his district are gun violence and groceries. He is pushing for a federal law, to go after people selling guns to children. Congressman Jackson posed the question, if it is unlawful to sell guns to anyone under 18 years of age, how are guns getting into the hands of 13-, 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds? The Congressman hosted a community roundtable on gun violence in March in Englewood that featured U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and others.
He also says we have to find a way to bring groceries to the South Side.
He talked about the importance of grants and said there will be a town hall in the near future on the grant process.
He said there are funds available to support putting trades in schools, and we should begin by putting those programs back into the same schools they were taken out of.
Congressman Jackson took the time to salute labor leader Katie Jordan, stating it was her ninety-first birthday. Mrs. Jordan corrected the Congressman and told us she was 95 years old.
Nearly three hundred people attended the meeting which was held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134 union hall in Bronzeville.
