Jessica Jackson

Jessica Jackson is an Associate Professor of History and Director of Social Studies Teaching at Colorado State University. Her research focuses on immigration history, southern U.S. history, race relations, and social studies education. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Jackson's award-winning book Dixie's Italians examines Sicilian racialization in the Jim Crow Gulf South, while her current project explores anti-immigrant lynching violence in Colorado. She teaches courses on U.S. immigration history and social studies pedagogy.

Her work bridges immigration, southern, and Italian history, challenging traditional black/white racial narratives. Recent scholarship includes presentations on teaching place-based curriculum, the legal borderlands of Colorado, and the legacy of lynching violence. Jackson has been featured in PBS documentaries, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.

As an educator, she emphasizes culturally responsive teaching methods and has organized workshops on teaching difficult historical topics. Her research often involves collaboration with K-12 educators to develop hyperlocal, culturally sustaining curricula.