Black History Month is coming to a close, and to finish the month we’d like to highlight one other African American who had a hand in helping to bolster the experience of African Americans in the field of art: Tim Jackson.
Tim Jackson made his transition very recently in late 2024; he was truly a great man. In addition to his special ability to draw cartoons that made people smile and think, he was an advocate for Black cartoonists everywhere. His website featuring Black cartoonists was awesome, and he did a fantastic job in making us all aware of the existence and importance of cartoonists of color. His book, “Pioneering Cartoonists of Color,” published by the University Press of Mississippi, was, itself, a pioneering classic. In that book he gave a shout-out to his mentor, friend, and cheering section, Morrie Turner, and documented the work of Black cartoonists far and wide.
As a great cartoon artist himself, he unselfishly served as an advocate for others. He was a key factor in the spread of information about Jackie Ormes, who is known as the first African American woman cartoonist and creator of the Torchy Brown comic strip, among other work.
Tim was a participant in the Black Age of Comics founded by Turtel Onli, who also recently passed away, and also self-syndicated his own work. Tim’s cartoons were featured in the Chicago Defender, Cincinnati Herald, the Chicago Tribune, and other publications. He was very well versed on the use of technology with cartooning when computers became popular. Tim published an outstanding collection of his own work entitled “The Man Who Drew Too Much,” a collection of social commentary cartoons published in 2005 by his Creative License Studio.
Tim’s passing has left a large hole in the Black cartoonists’ universe, but at the same time, he has also left us with a gift of insight and historical perspective in a scholarly manner regarding it. Tim, with his unique style and his penchant for sharing knowledge and his work, has left an indelible mark on our lives.
GOVERNMENT BY FEALTY
So far this month, the Crusader has highlighted the lives of at least three dynamic individuals (Marian Croak, Turtel Onli, and Tim Jackson) who have contributed to the wellbeing of the world. Of course, there are numerous others carrying out important work; they are laboring in the trenches beyond public applause.
The United States has fallen into chaos. Almost every action that Trump has attempted has been met with court proceedings or public opposition. Interestingly, the Republican Party has seemingly developed a huge case of MUTISM. It is as quiet as water dripping on cotton on the Republican side of the Congressional aisle. Everyone, especially republicans, basically has gone mentally AWOL…they are like sheep going to slaughter without fighting back!
This is very dangerous; we are moving so fast into a state of autocracy that it causes the mind to blur! The machinations being pushed forward to utterly change our country are unbelievable. Thousands of government workers are being fired or laid-off of their jobs, and Elon Musk, the shadow president, seems to care not at all about the suffering of these constituents.
Actually, we have entered a period of “Government by Fealty,” i.e., anything goes if it gets Donald Trump’s approval. When assessing his cabinet choices, it is clear that he didn’t understand the concept of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). DEI, looked at from the Trump perspective, means “Didn’t Earn It!” Just about every single cabinet pick that has been revealed by Trump has been of the DEI variety, i.e., (“Didn’t Earn It”). They were only hired because of their fealty to Trump. With this being the case, the sky is the limit as to what can happen to our government under the Trump/Musk regime. This is why we will all have to stand up and resist the attempted destruction of our democracy so that we can look forward to a Future Black History. Aluta continua.