Who is Robert Jackson?

From School Board President, where he walked 150 miles to Albany to bring attention to educational inequality, to serving for 12 years on the City Council, to recent fights for tenants and affordable housing, Robert Jackson takes on the tough fights for New Yorkers again and again… and never backs down.

ROBERT KNOWS THAT EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.

Growing up in Harlem with eight brothers and sisters, his family didn’t have much money. But he worked hard at school. His track coach at Benjamin Franklin High School, Irwin Goldberg, saw his potential and helped Robert attend SUNY New Paltz. After graduating, Robert moved to Washington Heights.

 ROBERT BELIEVES IN PUBLIC SERVICE.

As a Community School Board President, Robert filed a lawsuit against New York State to fix an inequitable New York State school funding distribution formula and won a court judgment that awarded $16 billion for NYC schools.

Since 2003, Robert has joined a team of doctors on an annual humanitarian mission to the Dominican Republic, helping deliver essential supplements to high-risk pregnant women as well as school supplies and vitamins to young children, and also helping to clean up toxic lead site at Haina.

 ROBERT BELIEVES IN A PROSPEROUS AND THRIVING MULTICULTURAL NEW YORK CITY.

In 2001, Robert was elected to the City Council. He helped create more than 4,000 new Pre-K spots, fought against teacher layoffs, and helped start the Drop-Out Prevention Initiative. He also served as chair of the Education Committee and co-chaired the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus.

ROBERT KNOWS THAT STRONG LOCAL BUSINESSES MAKE STRONG COMMUNITIES.

Robert sponsored the Small Business Survival Act and helped create a community manpower training program, cited as a national model by the Clinton Global Initiative.

 ROBERT’S CONSTITUENTS SUPPORT HIM BECAUSE HE SUPPORTS HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Robert was overwhelmingly re-elected by the voters of his upper Manhattan district three times.

He and his family have lived in Washington Heights since 1975. He is married and a dedicated father to three daughters.