HR32INTRODUCED
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HR32
6HYP311-1
By Representative Clarke
RFD:
First Read: 06-Feb-25
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5 6HYP311-1 02/05/2025 NG (L)NG 2025-586
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First Read: 06-Feb-25
HR___ CELEBRATING BIG ZION AME ZION CHURCH HERITAGE DAY ON
FEBRUARY 9, 2025, AND RECOGNIZING THE COURAGEOUS EFFORTS OF
REVEREND SHANDY JONES AND HIS FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE.
WHEREAS, the Reverend Shandy Jones was born in
Huntsville, Alabama, in 1816 to an enslaved mother and a
member of the slave master's family; and
WHEREAS, before his 21st birthday, Shandy Jones was
emancipated and moved from Huntsville to Tuscaloosa,
Alabama; in 1837, he married Elvina Love, who was also the
offspring of an enslaved woman and her slave owner and was
later freed; and
WHEREAS, Shandy Jones apprenticed as a barber and
later opened his own barbershop, achieving financial
security and successfully raising a family of 14 children;
and
WHEREAS, for the next decade, he built a thriving
barbering business serving Tuscaloosa's white community,
allowing him to learn business practices and strategies
through his interactions; as a result, by 1860, Shandy Jones
had accumulated real estate holdings worth $7,000, a
significant achievement for a Black man in Alabama at that
time; he was one of the most successful Black men in
Tuscaloosa and among the wealthiest in Alabama; and
WHEREAS, beyond his business ventures, Shandy Jones
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WHEREAS, beyond his business ventures, Shandy Jones
was ordained as a minister in the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church and played a pivotal role in
establishing Tuscaloosa's first Black school and church,
Hunter's Chapel AME Zion Church; and
WHEREAS, before the Civil War, he became involved
with the American Colonization Society, which sought to
assist free Black Americans in emigrating to Liberia; Mr.
Jones wrote letters to the African Repository, the society's
official publication, advocating for the freedom of all
people of color in the United States and expressing his
support for Black colonization in Liberia; and
WHEREAS, after the Civil War, during the
Reconstruction era, Shandy Jones became active in the
Republican Party; following the ratification of the
Fourteenth Amendment, he ran for office and won a seat in
the Alabama House of Representatives, becoming one of the
first Black legislators in Alabama; he served until 1870,
when he lost his bid for re-election; and
WHEREAS, as white resistance to Reconstruction
intensified in Tuscaloosa, many groups targeted Shandy
Jones; his businesses, including his barbershop, faced
organized boycotts; due to these hostilities, Mr. Jones and
his family relocated to Mobile in 1871, leaving behind
everything he had worked to build; and
WHEREAS, upon arriving in Mobile, Shandy Jones was
appointed to a position at the U.S. Customs House by
President Ulysses S. Grant in recognition of his political
contributions to the Republican Party in 1872; and
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contributions to the Republican Party in 1872; and
WHEREAS, Shandy Jones became the pastor of Little
Zion AME Zion Church in Mobile, in 1880, later renamed Big
Zion AME, serving faithfully until his death in 1886; and
WHEREAS, Shandy Jones was laid to rest in Magnolia
Cemetery, where his grave remained unmarked until 2015, when
the Friends of Magnolia Cemetery successfully located his
burial site and placed a prominent grave marker in his
honor; and
WHEREAS, Big Zion AME Zion Church Heritage Day will
be held on February 9, 2025; on this special day, the church
will pay homage to the Honorable Reverend Shandy Jones; now
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That the Alabama House of
Representatives joins Big Zion AME Zion Church in
recognizing Reverend Shandy Jones as a significant figure in
Alabama's history who overcame immense challenges of his
time to emerge as a successful businessman, religious
leader, and politician; his contributions to the Black
community and his advocacy for freedom and equality remain a
lasting legacy.
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