George 'Jesse' Taylor left legacy of service

LANSING – As one of the nation's first black Marines, George "Jesse" Taylor fought racial inequities in a segregated military while fighting for his country during World War II.

But his service didn't end when he left the Marine Corps.

Taylor involved himself in political and cultural affairs in Lansing, mentored young people and served as a stabilizing force during a time of civil unrest, family members said.

"During the time he was in hospice, there were a number of people who came in and said, 'I remember when he came to this event or that event' or talked about things that happened during all the struggles of the civil rights era," said Terri Taylor, one of his daughters.

"It was amazing to hear those stories — not only from young people but people older than me — about all of the riots on the west side of Lansing and how he was there to help them get through all of that."

Taylor, who received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012, died Monday. He was 89.

Taylor was a native of Indianapolis, Ind. but grew up in Chicago. He was drafted in 1943 at age 18 and went to Montford Point, part of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

That was just a year after President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the Marine Corps to accept blacks. At the time, blacks were kept out of white training grounds, and many were denied combat roles.

Taylor served in the Pacific theater during the war, spotting enemy planes on radar and illuminating them with a spotlight so gunners could better target them. He was discharged in 1946.

During a 2012 interview, he told the Lansing State Journal there were no parades for the Montford Point Marines after the war. He spoke of the indignities he suffered because of his race and how his defiance landed him in the brig on several occasions.

"The Marines really made that man out of me," he said. "I felt that I was a man when I went in, but I stood up for myself in there and it made me stronger."

The parade finally came in 2012, when Taylor and about 400 other surviving members the Montford Point Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the government's highest civilian honor.

After leaving the service, Taylor went back to Chicago before coming to Michigan. He worked at the Lansing Civic Center for 30 years, most of those as a foreman.

His son-in-law, Lansing City Council President Derrick Quinney, said Taylor was proud of his staff's work preparing the civic center for functions and entertainment events.

Taylor mentored many young people, most of them black males, family members said.

"There's not a person in the community who didn't know him, meet him or run across him at some point," said Hassan Abdul-Kareem, one of Taylor's sons.

Among Taylor's sayings: "You can't hide with your feet sticking out," meaning you should tell the truth, and "You wouldn't have gotten hooked if your mouth wasn't open," meaning you should pay attention and listen, family members said.

Services

A memorial service for George "Jesse" Taylor is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Trinity AME Church in Lansing. Taylor chose to be cremated, and his ashes will be interred at noon Saturday at Evergreen Cemetery. The public is welcome to attend the burial, as well as the memorial service.