Diversity and Inclusion Award (Est. 2020)

The Diversity and Inclusion Award is bestowed upon alumni by the University of Illinois Alumni Association on behalf of the University of Illinois. This award recognizes those alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion through their professional and/or voluntary achievements and whose accomplishments support the UIAA’s goal of promoting diversity, cross-culturalism, open-mindedness, and respect within the University of Illinois community and beyond. In alignment with our mission to foster a supportive environment for all members of our university community, this award is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin.

Fleda Mask Jackson, MS ’77 ACES, PHD ’91 ED
Fleda Mask Jackson, MS ’77 ACES, PHD ’91 ED, a national authority on maternal mental health, has led trailblazing research on stress and depression as risk factors in pregnancy outcomes. She has spent four decades at the forefront of advancing racial, gender, and health equity, illuminating and addressing the structural inequities that shape the lives of Black women, children, and families. Through her pioneering research on gendered racism, contextualized stress, and maternal and infant health disparities, Jackson has transformed both academic understanding and public health practice.

Jackson currently leads Majaica, LLC, a research firm and think tank dedicated to improving the conditions and outcomes for Black mothers and babies. There, she partners with organizations including the March of Dimes, United Way, Healthy Start, and the Morehouse School of Medicine, as well as local and national health agencies and consortia including Black Mamas Matter Alliance, to create safe spaces and evidence-based, culturally resonant supports for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

She is best known for leading the development of the Jackson, Hogue, Phillips Contextualized Stress Measure, a groundbreaking tool that is widely recognized for creating greater understanding about African American women’s intersectional lived experiences and for its applications for pregnancy and maternal community-based and clinical interventions.

Jackson’s research has shaped the modern birth equity movement and is frequently cited by national media. Her leadership in public service is equally distinguished, with roles on the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality and the Centers for Disease Control’s National Advisory Committee on Health Disparities and Health Equity.