Beacon Vol 3

of the national women’s advocacy non-profit 9to5.
“Also, her fearlessness is awe-worthy — that has inspired
me to stand in my power.”
When Jackson is not attending a community
meeting or guest speaking, she prefers to relax
in the house that she has lived in since 1971, near
Savannah State University where she received her
B.A. and Masters’ degrees and worked as an administrator
for over 30 years.
Though the former Madame Mayor may not be
wading into political waters herself anymore, she
has no intention of leaving the beach. She invited
Beacon over for a glass of sweet tea to discuss Savannah’s
biggest challenges, why it’s OK to lose an election
and what it will take to lead Savannah into 2033.
As someone who has been a leader in this
community since you were a teenager,
what do those coming up need to
understand about leading Savannah?
I was fortunate because I was trained by good
mentors like W.W. Law and Judge Eugene Gadsden.
They taught me that integrity is the most important
quality in a politician, that you could never
allow anyone to buy your vote, to buy you to get
your support. That you should always be in a position
to speak up and speak out.
You have to be doing it for the right reasons. Just
because you want to run, it doesn’t mean that you
will make a good public official. You just can’t proclaim
yourself a leader.
What makes a good public official?
You have to show you really believe in the people
and the community, and that you want to make
positive changes. It’s about being true to what
you’re standing for. When a crisis happens like the
Augusta Avenue shooting [in 2014], you have to
maintain peace and remind everyone that we are
One Savannah.
Honestly, I didn’t even want to go into public
office. [Former mayor] Floyd Adams talked me into
it during his first campaign for mayor. That time,
I ran and lost for alderman-at-large, but it didn’t
matter because it wasn’t about me — it was about
helping the first African-American mayor of Savannah
get elected. That was done by people who
didn’t necessarily want to sit up on that council but
who wanted to elect officials who had integrity and
commitment to the community.
Savannah’s City Council was first
integrated under [former mayor] John
Rousakis, and you were the first female
African-American mayor. We have had
a diverse city council for almost three
decades. Now what is the challenge in
leadership?
We need leaders who aren’t just looking out for
themselves. I think what’s been happening is that
some people elected have the mindset of “what am
I getting out of it” instead of what’s good for the
MOLLY HAYDEN
city. When I was alderman-at-large, a fellow city
council member said my son, Kevan, is an aeronautical
engineer and he ought to be appointed
to the Airport Commission. I said, “No way, that
would not be appropriate!” But you have other
council members who would have no problem
with that today.
Being mayor is about moving nine people in the
same direction. A good leader is going to take the
time and get everyone on the same page before
any final decisions are made. You have to be a good
listener. You have to be able to determine whether
it’s time to move forward or continue to talk.
Former mayors Floyd Adams and Dr. Otis Johnson
set the example of what true leadership in
Savannah should look like: The diversity of large
businesses, small businesses and residents working
together. We don’t have that now. You look
at Savannah, maybe housing is desegregated, but
now what we have is gentrification. It used to be
African Americans and whites living downtown.
Now it’s not about black or white, it’s about working-class
people not being able to afford to live
there.
How should our leaders address that?
You have to make decisions based on the people
who are living here. There needs to be more
dialogue. I did not do everything right when I was
mayor, but when I look at what’s happening now,
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