On December 1st, GREMAP folks attended a symposium in honor of Dr. James S. Jackson, who was a leader and revolutionary in the field of psychology and the social sciences, remembered for this career-long dedication to understanding and advocating for the health and wellbeing of Black Americans. Notably (although it seems many things he did were notable), Dr. Jackson established the Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) at the UM Institute for Social Research, which aimed to study the health of Black Americans by looking at within-group differences, rather than as compared to White populations, which was the standard at the time. This approach was both innovative and impactful and transformed the research and scholarship on the mental health of Black people in the U.S.

In addition to research and scholarship, Dr. Jackson’s career was characterized by leadership and mentorship. While the sessions in the symposium ranged from everything from Dr. Jackson’s impact on the University and the Institute for Social Research, to his roles in leadership and advocacy, to his work in sports and athlete health and wellbeing, the common thread through almost all of the talks was his human impact as a mentor and friend. Among the speakers was Dr. Mezuk, who was mentored by Dr. Jackson. During her talk, Dr. Mezuk discussed the impact of Dr. Jackson’s mentorship on her career thus far and in the future. She also reflected on the integral role of Dr. Jackson in the MIWI program, of which he was the co-founder and first co-director alongside Dr. Mezuk. His mentorship and leadership in MIWI continues to shape the MIWI program today.

In her speech, Dr. Mezuk also highlighted Dr. Jackson’s goal of “intergenerational mentorship”, or, as others who spoke phrased it, how “[he] played the long game”. Throughout his career, Dr. Jackson was devoted to investing in the next generation of diverse scholars, both professionally and interpersonally, and it was evident to those who knew him that he respected, challenged, cared for, advocated for his mentees. Reflecting on the symposium, I am confident that those who were impacted by him will continue his legacy of support and mentorship.

You can read more about the life and career of James S. Jackson here.