When Dr. Alvin Jackson of the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center spoke to the Bulloch County Historical Society last month, its members and guests heard from an organization that works with the Georgia Southern Museum and the university’s History Department, as well as the Historical Society at times, to highlight and present the history of African American residents of the region. Jackson, who was born in Portal, grew up in Bulloch County and became one of the first Black students to graduate from Statesboro High School, attended Andrews University in Michigan for his bachelor’s degree and received a scholarship that allowed him to study at the University of Keele in England and travel to over 20 countries in Europe. He then earned his M.D. from The Ohio State University and began a career as a family practice physician, also serving several years as director of the Ohio Department of Health.