The Undergraduate Council of Students announced its newly-elected chair of equity and inclusion — Skye Alex Jackson ’25, a sophomore from Chicago studying English and entrepreneurship — in a Monday email.
A UCS email on Oct. 25 calling for candidates described the chair of equity and inclusion as someone responsible for “collaborating with identity centers around campus and advocating greater equitability and accessibility both in and out of UCS.”
Despite not feeling “incredibly familiar” with UCS, Jackson ran because she believes “in UCS (and) the Brown community,” she said.
“UCS has always been a great resource for me as a first-year student — (and) now as a second-year student — to learn about what's going on within the student community,” she added.
According to Jackson, she has been “working in community (and) organizing diversity work (her) whole life.”
Since 2020, Jackson has been running a registered nonprofit organization called the National Black Student Alliance, which “supports Black students and allies in education throughout the country,” she said.
Currently working with eight public and private elementary and high schools, she helps “individual students, school groups and educators to promote safe spaces within education,” Jackson said.
“Experience she has with (the National Black Student Alliance) could translate well” at UCS, said UCS Vice President Mina Sarmas.
UCS President Ricky Zhong and Sarmas noted that Jackson is also involved with multiple groups across campus, such as Harambee House and the Black Star Journal.
Jackson saw the role of chair of equity and inclusion “as an opportunity to foster community on campus within diversity and equity and inclusion,” she said.
“My main priority is ensuring that students feel like they have a voice and feel like they can speak up about how they're feeling and how their lives are going within the Brown University community,” Jackson said, “And I vow to support … anyone who wants a safe space on campus.”
She added that she feels “incredibly welcomed by Ricky and by Mina, and by the entire UCS community.”
There were five candidates in total and Jackson won with “an overwhelming majority” of votes, according to Zhong.
Everyone who gathered 25 signatures supporting their candidacy before Nov. 2 was eligible for an interview, though candidates also had the option of submitting an application for the role, according to the Oct. 24 UCS email which announced the special election.
By requiring the signatures, “we do add that layer of making sure that you’re someone (who) talks to at least 25 people,” Sarmas said.
The email also outlined that interviews would be held in front of and voted on by the UCS executive board, with a required 50% threshold for any candidate to get the position.
“It's completely constitutional. We’ve checked with the (Student Government Association) elections chairs, … Joie Steele, the SAO advisor, … the constitution itself (and) the code of operations,” Zhong said.
Jackson emphasized her excitement to start making an impact on campus through the new role.
“I just want to express how grateful I am for (the UCS e-board) to see the potential in me to create equitable spaces on campus and to unite the community,” she said.
Kathy Wang is the senior editor of community of The Brown Daily Herald's 134th Editorial Board. She previously covered student government and international student life as a University News editor. When she's not at The Herald, you can find her watching cooking videos or writing creative nonfiction.
