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Accident – death – Obituary News : June Jackson Christmas, a trailblazing psychiatrist who shattered barriers as a Black woman, passed away on Sunday in the Bronx at the age of 99. Her daughter, Rachel Christmas Derrick, confirmed that she died in a hospital due to heart failure. Dr. Christmas made significant contributions to the field of mental health throughout her career, serving as the head of New York City’s Department of Mental Health and Retardation Services under three mayors.
Dr. Christmas was a dedicated advocate for her professional agenda, which included improving mental health services for older individuals, assisting those struggling with alcoholism, and supporting children caught in the complexities of foster care and the legal system. She also worked tirelessly to facilitate the transition of patients from state mental hospitals to independent living.
From an early age, Dr. Christmas passionately championed civil rights. At 14 years old, she organized a sit-down strike at a segregated roller skating rink in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Throughout her life, she broke ground as a Black woman in various fields, including education, employment, and housing.
Born on June 7, 1924, in Boston, Dr. Christmas was the daughter of Lillian Annie (Riley) Jackson, a homemaker who had worked at the Charlestown Navy Yard during World War II, and Mortimer Jackson, a postal worker and advocate for Black workers’ advancement. Despite facing racial discrimination, Dr. Christmas excelled academically. She graduated from Vassar College in 1945 with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology, becoming one of the first three Black women to graduate from the institution. She went on to earn a medical degree in psychiatry from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1949.
Dr. Christmas completed her internship at Queens General Hospital and her residency at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. She also obtained a certificate in psychoanalysis from the William Alanson White Institute. In 1953, she married Walter Christmas, a prominent figure in the Harlem Writers Guild and public relations. Together, they had two children, Rachel and Gordon, and four grandchildren. Sadly, their son Vincent, who worked for the city mental health agency, passed away in 2021.
During her career, Dr. Christmas worked as a psychiatrist for the Riverdale Children’s Association in New York from 1953 to 1965. In 1964, she established the Harlem Rehabilitation Center, a program at Harlem Hospital that gained national recognition for its vocational training and psychiatric support for patients transitioning back into their communities after being discharged from psychiatric hospitals. From 1964 to 1972, she served as the principal investigator on research projects for the National Institute of Mental Health.
In 1972, Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed Dr. Christmas as the commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Retardation Services. She was subsequently reappointed by Mayor Abraham D. Beame in 1973 and Mayor Edward I. Koch in 1978. Dr. Christmas was also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, a professor of behavioral science at the City University of New York School of Medicine, and a resident professor of mental health policy at the Heller Graduate School of Social Welfare of Brandeis University.
In 1980, Dr. Christmas achieved another milestone by becoming the first Black woman president of the American Public Health Association. She was also a founder and executive director of the Urban Issues Group, a research institute, from 1993 to 2000.
Reflecting on her career, Dr. Christmas acknowledged the profound impact of racism, stating that it posed a greater barrier than being a woman. She faced discrimination throughout her life, including during her residency interviews when one interviewer expressed concerns about her being “too sexually stimulating” to male patients. She also encountered housing discrimination, with real estate agents explicitly stating that buildings had no Black or Puerto Rican residents.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Christmas remained committed to combating prejudice. She believed that through her work as a psychiatrist, she could teach people to reject racism. Her approach was rooted in the proverb, “Each one, teach one,” which originated during American slavery when education was denied to Black individuals. Dr. Christmas sought to pass on knowledge and understanding from one person to another.
Dr. June Jackson Christmas leaves behind a profound legacy as a pioneering psychiatrist and advocate for mental health. Her contributions to the field, her unwavering commitment to civil rights, and her determination to challenge racial discrimination serve as an inspiration to future generations..
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