Retired Major Howard D. Jackson is a Vietnam-era veteran and longtime resident of Oakland. He joined the Marine Corps in 1957 and served in Vietnam from 1966-1967. Though only about 13% of the U.S. population, Black Americans at the time made up 16.3% of the armed forces, but only 2% of officers across all branches. As a result, Major Jackson was one of the few Black officers throughout the Armed Forces during his time in the service.

Explicit acts of racism on bases in Vietnam were common. As one of the few Black officers in the Marine Corps, Major Howard Jackson played a key role in ensuring that Black soldiers received the respect that they deserved, while working in an advisory role to his Commanding General.

In 1965 his efforts resulted in the creation of the first Human Relations Program in the Armed Forces. This position became the hallmark for similar positions that are still used throughout the military and in Human Resource Departments nationwide to this day.

As a Human Resources consultant in Oakland from 1981 to 1997, he also developed training programs and executive seminars in labor relations, Personnel, and Equal Opportunity Affairs and provided executive search services for industry, government, and educational organizations.

He formed and served as Executive Director of an Oakland city-chartered organization that developed initial programs to promote minority employment, housing, educational, and social opportunities to improve interracial relations like he had successfully done in the military years earlier.

Currently, he has served as a Special Consultant to the President of the California Maritime Academy since 1997 and as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Minority Military Museum Foundation since 1980. In recognition of his prestigious career and lifelong volunteer commitments, in 2023, he was awarded the prestigious President of the United States Volunteer Service Award.