When Jesse Hill, Jr. the retired CEO of the Atlanta Life Insurance Co. and a legendary civil rights activist, passed away yesterday the city of Atlanta mourned him. Leaders in civil rights, business and local as well as state government all had their lives impacted by the late business executive and community leader.
“Today, the City of Atlanta mourns the passing of an exemplar in business and civic leadership,” said Mayor Kasim Reed in a statement. “Jesse Hill Jr. was an essential figure in bridging the divide between the business community and the African American community in our city. His legacy lives on and his tireless passion for empowering generations of Americans continues.
“I stand as a personal beneficiary of his great work,” Reed continued. “His passing is very sad for me personally and for this city. Atlanta would not be what it is today without Jesse Hill Jr.’s extraordinary contributions. We have all of his family members in our prayers and in our hearts.”
In addition to his pioneering success in business and his work with the Atlanta Life Insurance Co., Hill worked closely with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that King helped found. Representatives from the organization remembered how integral Hill was to the group’s mission.
“Mr. Jesse Hill, Jr. played a vital and significant role in the civil rights movement, ” said Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Chairman of the SCLC. “Jesse Hill represented leadership from the corporate community which gave financial support and authenticity to the movement for social change. That support gave us credibility and confidence that we could achieve our goals… Jesse Hill’s influence was also instrumental in helping Mrs. Coretta Scott King get the Martin Luther King Jr. Center established.”
