Andronicus Jacobs (1899-1997)

Andronicus Jacobs (in suit, tie, and hat), courtesy of www.carriacou1968.com

  Every so often a political figure enters my purview that is so obscure even my usual newspaper archive haunts fail to yield any pertinent information. One of those instances involves the following man, Andronicus Jacobs, a black immigrant to New York from Grenada who in 1952 became the American-Labor candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from the 16th congressional district. For many years active in the affairs of black dockworkers on the New York waterfront, Jacobs was also a candidate for Manhattan Borough President in 1953. Despite these candidacies, Jacobs remains a man of mystery, with little information available on his life and career, odd when one considers he lived to be nearly 100 years old! 

  Despite the dearth of information and photographs of Jacobs, information has been found (via the webpage www.carriacou1968.com) which details that he was born on the Grenadian island of Carriacou on February 22, 1899. Nothing is known of his life or education in the country of his birth, except that he had at least one brother, Theodolph. By 1921 both Andronicus and Theodolph were residing in Cuylersville, New York, and their residence here saw them active in the Universal Negro Improvement Association founded by Marcus Moziah Garvey, donating money to that organization's African Redemption Fund.

  In the years following his resettlement in the Empire State,  Jacobs worked as a longshoreman, and as such became a leading figure in the fight against black discrimination on the New York docks. Along with his cousin Cleophas Jacobs (the president of the segregated Local #968 of the International Longshoreman's Association), Jacobs saw black longshoremen denied the same benefits accorded to white dock workers, and in March 1949 Andronicus himself led a contingent of several hundred workers from Local #968 in a "march on the waterfront." This march was followed by a Jacobs-led sit-in in June 1949 at the offices of Joe Ryan, then president of the International Longshoreman's Association. For a period of five hours, Jacobs and a number of other workers held the office, until a physical confrontation erupted between them and pro-Ryan men, resulting in the "Negro unionists" being forced from their position and out "into the nearest corridor." Though painted as Communists by Ryan and other ILA officials, Andronicus Jacobs and his fellow longshoreman's acts of defiance saw Joseph Ryan forced from his position as ILA president, and the creation of the New York Waterfront Commission in August 1953. 

  In 1952 Andronicus Jacobs was put forward as the American Labor Party's candidate for U.S. Representative from New York's 16th district. One of three candidates vying to oust prominent black Democrat Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Jacobs polled a distant fourth on election day, garnering 2, 547 votes to Powell's winning total of 75,562. In the year following this defeat, Jacobs entered into the race for Manhattan Borough President, again the candidate of the American Labor Party. One of five candidates running for that post, Jacobs placed fourth with 16, 828 votes, well behind winning candidate Hulan Edwin Jack's winning total of 215, 645. With his victory, Hulan Jack (then a sitting U.S. Representative), became the first African-American elected to that office.

From the New York Age, 1953.

  Little information could be located on Andronicus Jacob's life after his 1953 candidacy for borough president. By 1967 he had removed back to Carriacou, Grenada, as is recorded as having been selected as a parliamentary secretary. Nothing more could be found on his life after 1968, except notice of his death on December 20, 1997, at the age of 98. A burial location for him also remains unknown at this time.

You Can Help!

  With Andronicus Jacobs being one of the most obscure figures I've profiled in quite some time, a "You Can Help" segment is necessary! If you know of any further information on Jacobs' life and career or have a photograph of him to contribute, please don't hesitate to contact me at this site's Facebook page link, which can be accessed via the above right side of this page.