James Sidney Jackson

James Sidney Jackson passed away at home on September 1, 2020, with his wife, Toni, and daughters, Ariana and Kendra, by his side. Born in 1944 in Detroit and raised in Inkster, James was the first in his family to go to college, earning an undergraduate degree at Michigan State University, a Master’s degree at University of Toledo and his PhD in Psychology from Wayne State University. He was the Daniel Katz Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Research Professor, Research Center for Group Dynamics both at the University of Michigan, where he spent his entire professional career. As the founding director of the Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA), Dr. Jackson is internationally recognized for his innovative research on the influence of race on the health of African Americans, including the groundbreaking National Survey of Black Americans (NSBA) and National Survey of American Life (NSAL) which are considered the most extensive social, economic, and mental and physical health surveys of the US Black population across the lifespan. These have provided a foundational framework for understanding racial and ethnic disparities in physical and mental health across the lifespan and elevated the value of applied work in academic fields. Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Jackson served as mentor, advocate, and sponsor for generations of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty of color. He received many awards and was a fellow in many professional societies. In 2014, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the prestigious National Science Board.

James is survived by his wife Toni, daughters Ariana and Kendra; sons-in-law Alex Berger and Tyson Timmer; and his greatest joy – three grandchildren, Josephine, Emmett and Maya. Due to Covid-19 concerns a memorial is delayed to a future date. Although your kind wishes, thoughts and prayers are what matters most to the family, donations can be made in James’ memory to the James S. Jackson Emerging Scholars Fund.