Interview with George Jackson

George Jackson is interviewed by Edward Clark Smith March 2, 1987 as a part of the Western North Carolina Tomorrow Black Oral History Project. Jackson was born in Altapass in Mitchell County in 1909. He was raised by his grandparents who owned and farmed 65 acres. Jackson moved to Swannanoa in 1921 and when he was about 16 went to West Virginia to work in the coal mines with his uncle. He was drafted and talks about why he chose to not use his work as a miner to obtain a deferment. Jackson served in the Army from 1944-1947. He shares stories from his service, his travels, and the Civil Rights movement