He was born on March 23 , 1938 in dallas texas. His father, Maynard H. Jackson Sr.was minister His father took the pastorship at friendship baptist church. His family moved to Atlanta in 1945. His mother was a teacher of french at spelman college. After his father died in 1953 , his mother was become even more influential in of life his 15 year old grandson. In 1959 his mother become first african american to receive a card to Atlanta public library, thereby integrating that institution. He was Atlanta’s first african american in 1973.
Jackson entered morehouse college through a special early-entry program