Troy Jackson is Director of the Ohio Prophetic Voices campaign, an initiative to gather more than 500 clergy in Ohio to organize for racial and economic justice.
Troy has been involved in community organizing for four years—first as a volunteer leader and then as a faith organizer in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio. He has been actively involved in calling for comprehensive immigration reform and the Dream Act, and recently finished serving as faith outreach director for the highly successful We Are Ohio campaign that led to the repeal of Ohio Senate Bill 5 by a 61-39 margin.
In addition to his organizing work, Troy formerly served as senior pastor of University Christian Church (UCC) in Cincinnati, Ohio for 19 years. UCC is a part of the Christian Community Development Association, a network of churches and organizations working to reshape urban neighborhoods. Under Troy’s leadership, UCC established Rohs Street Café, a seven-day-a-week community coffee shop committed to community engagement, the arts, and social justice.
Troy is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in U.S. history from the University of Kentucky. Troy’s book Becoming King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of a National Leader (The University Press of Kentucky, 2008) explores the critical role the grassroots Montgomery Movement played in the development of Dr. King. His other publications include his work as an editor on The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Volume VI: Advocate of the Social Gospel (September 1948-March 1963) (University of California Press, 2007). He is also a regular blogger on the God’s Politics blog. Troy lives in Cincinnati with his wife Amanda and their three children Jacob, Emma, and Ellie.
Posts By This Author
Human Beings Matter More Than Analogies
Undocumented Young People Need the DREAM
Courage in a World of Labels
Pray for Bernard, Pray for the DREAM
Stephen Colbert for the Least of These
The Legacy of Martin Luther King: A Watering Hole Moment
Mosques, Churches, Terror, and Love
Our Response to Immigrants: A Blaring Horn or a Beautiful Song?
Goodbye, Styrofoam Jesus
Faith & Justice Networks: New Wineskins for Justice
Time to Declare a Mission Trip Moratorium
Finding Watchtowers and Blind Spots in Bethlehem
A Moment or a Movement? Sustaining Momentum after the Mobilization to End Poverty
Last week my son and I spent three days in Washington, D.C., as part of the Mobilization to End Poverty. We heard challenging speakers.
The Collapse of Evangelicalism?
Rare Repentance: John Lewis Receives Apology from Attacker
Remembering Merton on the 40th Anniversary of His Death
Lewis and McCain: When Heroes Collide
Why My Church is Hosting a Poverty Sunday
Two of the mantras that my evangelicalism has taught me over the years are these:
1. Be True to Scripture
2. Avoid Politics
The heart for God's Word is not all that surprising, given the "Sola [...]
Speeches are Fine, but Real Change Takes a Movement
It was a warm spring afternoon when Martin Luther King addressed tens of thousands gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, the largest gathering to date in the growing struggle for civil rights.
King rallied the crowd with his stirring refrain: "Give us the ballot!" He called for the government, white liberals, white Southerners, and finally the African-American [...]
Honoring MLK by Changing the Wind
Friday, April 4, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was 39-years-old, yet had already spent 15 years in a grassroots movement that radically reshaped the racial landscape in the U.S. He was not only a great preacher and civil rights leader, a Nobel Peace prize winner, and a courageous voice for peace and justice - King was also a [...]