Born Peter Martin in Los Angeles, California, he renamed himself in honor of the great colored heavyweight champ Peter Jackson and the welterweight contender Peter Jackson.

The 5'7" Jackson fought as a lightweight, making his professional debut on August 14, 1929 at the Wilmington Bowl in Wilmington, California, when he knocked out Herb Yales via a knock out in the first round of a scheduled four-round bout.

Jackson won the USA California State lightweight title on January 12, 1932, defeating Young Manuel (Manuel Villa I), then won the vacant Pacific Coast Lightweight title on July 25, 1933 by defeating Ah Wing Lee.

On 26 July 1936, he met Herbert Lewis Hardwick ("The Cocoa Kid") at Heinemann Park in New Orleans, Louisiana for the new World Colored Welterweight Championship.

In the scheduled 10-round title bout referred by Harry Wills, the former three-time World Colored Heavyweight Champ, The Cocoa Kid won via a technical knock-out in the second round.