Griffin Speaks
On Monday, June 23rd, 2003 I was standing at my kitchen sink when my cellular phone rang. On the other end of the phone was my best friend and best man, C. Howie Hodges II. Howie and I were classmates at Morehouse College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. I was a couple of years ahead of Howie at each institution. I introduced Howie to his lovely wife, Atlanta Socialite, Elizabeth Jackson Hodges. The two have been madly in love every since the first day they met. Elizabeth is the oldest daughter of the late Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr., former three-term mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.
Howie called to tell me that he was at the Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C. I asked him how was he doing? He replied, not well! I knew then that something was terribly wrong. I anxiously waited for his next words. The time was 7:55 am. Howie told me that he was waiting to pick up his father-in-law, Maynard Jackson. He said that Maynard exited the plane, collapsed and died of a heart attack. I nearly dropped the phone. After we finished our conversation I sat down and began to cry. Alexis looked at me and asked, "Daddy Why are you crying? I told her that Uncle Howie just called and said that Aunt Beth's daddy just died. Alexis then understood why daddy was crying.
I immediately called Dr. Joe Reed. Maynard and Dr. Reed had just eaten lunch together two weeks earlier at the Capital City Club here in Montgomery, Alabama. My wife ran into them outside the club. She shook Maynard's hand and he was pleased to see her. Maynard would call Beth later and tell her, "I saw Greg's wife while I visited Montgomery." When Dr. Reed came to the phone I said hello and it took me three minutes to tell him that Maynard had died. I could hardly say the words. Dr. Reed could hardly believe it. He was very sad.
As days passed by, America mourned the loss of Maynard Jackson. My entire family attended two of his three memorial services. I want to share with you some of the things that were said about Maynard at his final service. The following are excerpts from a couple of those many speeches:
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT
ONE TIME MAYNARD AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR FRIENDS ON THE FAR RIGHT AND LAUGHING ABOUT HOW THEY SO OFTEN BEAT US AND WONDERING WHY THEY DIDN'T SEEM HAPPY EVEN WHEN THEY WERE WINNING, AND WE WERE HAPPY SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN WE WERE LOSING. ONE OF THOSE FELLOWS ASKED ME ONE TIME, HE SAID, "WHY DO BLACK PEOPLE LIKE YOU SO MUCH?" I SAID, "I LIKE BLACK PEOPLE." "THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: THEY LIKE FOLKS WHO LIKE THEM."
AND WE LOVED MAYNARD BECAUSE HE LOVED US. HE LOVED US WITH THAT MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE. HE HAD THAT CREAMY VOICE THAT COULD MELT THE MEANESS OUT OF THE HARDEST HEART. HE HAD THE GIFT OF GAB THAT COULD TALK AN OWL OUT OF A TREE. AND HE HAD CERTAIN CONVICTIONS ABOUT POLITICS BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT POLITICIANS MADE CHOICES THAT COULD AFFECT PEOPLE'S LIVES. HE SAW HOW MUCH GOOD AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DID FOR WELL-CONNECTED WHITE FOLK AND HE THOUGHT IT OUGHT TO BE TRIED FOR OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
BROOKE JACKSON EDMOND, MAYNARD JACKSON'S DAUGHTER
"I WOULD RATHER BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, RATHER THAN STANDING BEFORE YOU TODAY TALKING ABOUT MY FATHER. BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME. THIS IS ABOUT MAYNARD HOLBROOK JACKSON. OUR FATHER WAS A FIGURE OF MYTHIC PROPORTIONS AND LIKE SO MANY BOYS AND GIRLS, OUR FATHER WAS A HERO. HE COULD DO NO WRONG. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS GONE MORE THAN WE LIKED, HE ALWAYS RETURNED HOME TO GIVE US A BEARHUG AND LEAVE HIS COLOGNE ON OUR SKIN.
HE WOULD TELL US, "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU." WE LOVE YOU, TOO, DADDY, AND WE'LL MISS YOU.
Debra and I were always running into Maynard when we visited Atlanta. We would see him at weddings, funerals and many other social events. Our connection was Howie and Beth. We would always talk about them. He would tell me I just talked to Beth and Howie the other day and they are fine. I would sometimes tell him, I just got off the phone with Howie and Beth, and they are doing great. He would give that million-dollar smile. He was crazy about his daughter and son-in-law. He loved his entire family with all of his heart.
Goodbye Maynard, Atlanta's finest son. You saved the south and made it rise again! You're in heaven now, with Martin and Malcolm. Goodbye Maynard, Atlanta's finest son.
For a more in depth coverage about the life and legacy of Maynard Jackson visit www.ajc.com
Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles
by logging on to his web page at www.greggriffin.com
