Manny jackson globetrotters biography

Owner of the Harlem Globetrotters

Born in a Boxcar

A Different Kind of Hoops Star

Business Leader

Owner of the Harlem Globetrotters

Sources

By any yardstick the Harlem Globetrotters are an American institution, instantly recognizable for their comic basketball antics and family-oriented exhibitions. The Globetrotters are also one of the oldest professional sports franchises in the country. Today, they are owned and run by Mannie Jackson, a Fortune executive who was once a Globetrotter himself. Jackson is the only African American owner in major professional sports who can boast controlling interest in his team. He has used that power to rejuvenate the Globetrotters and position them for an even higher international popularity in the twenty-first century. The Harlem Globetrotters are one of America&#x;s greatest assets because they are so much a part of sports history, Jackson commented in the Orange County Register. I feel a major responsibility to make it happen right. With a commitment to excellence and global social consciousness, the Globetrotters are setting the standard in the sports and entertainment arena.

Owning the Globetrotters is more than just a labor of love for Jackson&#x;it is a serious business venture, on which he expects to profit handsomely in years to come. We&#x; ve recognized that there&#x;s a lot of equity in this brand, and so now we&#x; re trying to build it, protect it, and embellish it, he told Marketing News. When he bought the Globetrotters, Jackson inherited a failing franchise that had lost two-thirds of its audience by relying on repetitious routines and older stars. Jackson moved quickly to re-vamp the Trotters&#x; image, hiring younger players, updating the music and the antics, and requiring his team members to interact with the fans. Jackson noted in Newsday, The Globetrotters had a lot of equity, but not momentum. It was like someone had taken the air out o

Chairman and owner of the Harlem Globetrotters

Mannie Jackson (born May 4, ) is the chairman and co-owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, for whom he played from to He was the first African American with controlling ownership in an entertainment organization and international sports team. Jackson has been heavily recognized throughout his career including an acknowledgment as one of the nation's 30 most powerful and influential black corporate executives, one of the nation's top 50 corporate strategists, and one of the 20 African-American high-net-worth entrepreneurs.

Early life

Mannie Jackson was born to Emmet and Margaret Jackson in Illmo, Missouri. He was born and lived in a boxcar. He was raised in an environment of great poverty, often living with 12 family members. His family then moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, where his father worked in automobile plants and his mother cleaned houses. Mannie was three at the time of this move to escape the Illmo floods. Mannie's father, Emmett, worked for the A. O. Smith Co. in Granite City, Illinois, which made large auto frames for General Motors. He also tended bar at the country club and gun club in Edwardsville. He worked two jobs while studying to be a teacher at Shurtleff College in Alton. Mannie adds, "He was an inspiration to me. Here's this guy who came out of the military after the war, had three kids, worked two jobs, went to college, and he did all this in the most racist part of the world you can be in. He never lost his drive." School segregation ended in Edwardsville just before Mannie Jackson went to high school. He was among the second group of black students to enroll in Edwardsville High. The town previously had an all-black high school called Lincoln. Jackson comments, "There were seven of us, four guys and three girls. Some of them were traumatized by this. It all points up the amount of waste that residual racism

Mannie Jackson

Year Inducted:

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations: Edwardsville High School
The University of Illinois
The Harlem Globetrotters
ABL

Biography: Mannie Jackson was an all-state player at Edwardsville HS, where he teamed with Govoner Vaughn to lead his team to a state runner-up trophy in   Mannie was a high school All-American who was selected as Illinois’ prep player of the year.  At the University of Illinois, he was an all Big 10 selection, captain of the squad and (along with his high school teammate, Govoner Vaughn), Mannie was the first African American letter winner for the U of I.  After college, he played in the ABL and with the Harlem Globetrotters.  In the mid ’s Mannie, already a successful businessman, became the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters.  In , Mannie bought a building in Edwardsville in which he founded the Mannie Jackson Center for Humanities Foundation.

PRESENT DAY

Today, the Globetrotters continue to bring their entertainment to millions of fans around the world with + games a year in 25+ countries. Each Globetrotters game features some of the best athletes on the planet, unmatched fan interaction, incredible ball handling wizardry, the famous HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS 4 POINTS® SHOT, rim-rattling dunks, and side-splitting comedy.

In all, close to men and women have played for the world famous team, a team which has entertained popes, kings, queens, and presidents around the globe.

Off the court, the organization remains steadfast in its commitment to the "Ambassadors of Goodwill" and goes beyond its vibrant live events. They proactively foster alliances with global partners, curate a diverse line of licensed products, implement a dynamic multimedia strategy to gain global prominence, and uphold the brand's enduring legacy of deep social engagement in local communities. Notably, they have returned triumphantly to television after a remarkable year hiatus.

What Is The Harlem Globetrotters 4 Point ® Shot?

The Harlem Globetrotters’ 4-point shot, 35 feet from the basket and nearly 12 feet from the standard 3-point arc, has been used in over 2, games since the team introduced the shot in