Brenda Jackson

Brenda Jackson, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over 150 books and novellas and 50 million books in print, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University.  She worked in management for State Farm Insurance, where she retired after thirty-seven years.  Fifty-four years ago, she married her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Her professional writing career began in 1995 with the release of her first book, Tonight and Forever. Since then, she has received numerous national and literary awards and has made many trail-blazing accomplishments, which include being the first African-American author to make the New York TimesBestseller’s List and the USA Today’s Bestseller’s List in the romance genre.  She was a 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, A Silken Thread, and she was named Romance Writers of America’s Nora Robert’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2012. For a list of additional awards and recognitions, please see the awards timeline.

In 2013, Brenda was recognized by her mayor with the Jacksonville Trailblazer Award.  In 2014, she received the Sallye B. Mathis Community Service Award from the NAACP and the Bethune Cookman University Award 2014 for Community Service. In 2015, she received the Humanitarian Award from Florida Memorial University.  Additionally, in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Brenda was honored by the Southeast Small Business Magazine as one of Jacksonville’s Top 30 Women of Influence, as well as the National Medical Association of Women Physicians.

She has been featured in several magazines including Essence, Sister-2-Sister, Today’s Black Woman, Ebony, Romantic Times, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and Cosmopolitan. Brenda novels, One Special Moment and   Truly Everlasting, were made into movies by BET and Five Alive Films, respectively. Passionflix produced movies for A Brother’s Honor, A Man’s Promise, and A Lover’s Vow from Brenda’s Granger Series books. They are presently streaming on Passionflix.com, Amazon Movies and Roku. Brenda has expanded her writing to Young Adult novels (age 10 through 18+) under the pen name of Author Lorren Madaris.

A staunch supporter of higher education, Brenda established the Josephine Threatt Scholarship Foundation at Florida Memorial University in honor of her grandmother to grant college educations to students who might not be able to afford one. She hosts the Brenda Jackson Readers Reunion every odd year to benefit this foundation. The group travels via cruises or destination trips.

Brenda also established the “Brenda Jackson Leadership Award,” which is presented to a high school senior who displays strong leadership skills.

Brenda created the “Brenda Jackson Empowerment Scholarship” for a graduating senior at the Pace Center for Girls.

Additionally, she has established the “Brenda Jackson Literary Scholarship Award” through Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. This award is presented to a college-bound high school senior who displays outstanding writing skills.