Joseph Harrison Jackson (September 11, 1900 – August 18, 1990) was a prominent African American pastor and leader within the National Baptist Convention (NBC). Born near Rudyard, Mississippi, Jackson pursued higher education diligently, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Jackson College (now Jackson State University) in 1926, a Bachelor of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1932, and a Master of Arts from Creighton University in 1934.

Jackson’s pastoral career included leading congregations in Mississippi, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. In 1941, he became the pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois, where he served until his death in 1990. Under his leadership, Olivet Baptist Church grew significantly, becoming one of the largest African American congregations in the United States.

In 1953, Jackson was elected president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the largest African American religious organization in the country. He held this position for 29 years, making him the longest-serving president in the convention’s history. His tenure was marked by internal conflicts over the direction of the civil rights movement and the role of the church in social activism. Jackson advocated for achieving civil rights through legal means and was cautious about direct action and civil disobedience, which led to tensions with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

These ideological differences culminated in a division within the NBC, resulting in the formation of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in 1961 by those who supported a more activist approach to civil rights. Despite the split, Jackson continued to lead the NBC until 1982, focusing on initiatives such as the establishment of the National Baptist Freedom Farm and promoting educational programs within the church community.

Jackson’s legacy is complex; he was a steadfast leader who prioritized legal approaches to civil rights and the spiritual mission of the church, yet his conservative stance during a pivotal era of social change remains a subject of discussion among historians and religious scholars.