June Jackson Christmas photographs

1941-2005

This biographical note is an abbreviated adaptation of one originally written by Lauren Stark in January 2020, with minor revisions by Tara Strongosky in 2024.

June Jackson Christmas (née Jackson), born on June 7, 1924, in Boston, Massachusetts, was the daughter of Mortimer Jackson, a postal worker and community volunteer. Christmas was one of Vassar College's first African American graduates. She later earned her medical degree from Boston University, where she was one of only seven women in her class. During medical school, she led the chapter of the Association of Interns and Medical Students and participated in anti-racism efforts in Boston. After completing a psychiatric residency at Bellevue Hospital, Christmas opened a private practice before shifting her focus to community psychiatry in Harlem.

From 1953 to 1965, Christmas worked as a psychiatrist for the Riverdale Children's Association and founded the Harlem Rehabilitation Center in 1964, which aimed to reintegrate discharged psychiatric patients into the community and influenced new mental health policies. She served as principal investigator on National Institute of Mental Health research projects from 1964 to 1972 and led the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare transition team for President Jimmy Carter in 1976.

As New York City's Commissioner of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Alcoholism Services from 1972 to 1980, Christmas developed key programs for various mental health services. She co-founded The Urban Issues Group and has held numerous academic positions, including professor emeritus at the City University of New York Medical School.

A passionate advocate for preventive and culturally relevant mental health services, Christmas received many accolades, including the American Public Health Association (APHA) Award for Excellence in 1976 and several honorary degrees. She also served as the first African American woman president of the APHA in 1980 and contributed to various national advisory boards.

Christmas married Walter Christmas, a public relations professional and civil rights advocate, in 1953. They had three children: Vincent, a composer and mental health worker; Rachel, a travel writer; and Gordon, a photographer. Walter passed away in 2002. Christmas died in the Bronx, New York City, on December 31, 2023, at the age of 99.