Jack and Jill of America

Jack and Jill of America
FormationJanuary 1938 (1938-01)
FounderMarion Turner Stubbs
Founded atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, US
TypeNon-profit corporation
Headquarters1930 17th Street NW
Washington, D.C.
Membership40,000+
Websitejackandjillinc.org

Jack and Jill of America is an American leadership organization for African American mothers and their children. It was established in Philadelphia in 1938. The organization aims to improve the quality of life of children, particularly African-American children.

There are over 230 Jack and Jill chapters in 35 states in the United States, with over 10,000 mother members and 40,000 parents and children. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C..

History

In January 1938, Marion Turner Stubbs organized a group of 12 mothers in Philadelphia, to establish a social and cultural union for their children, who were excluded from many activities due to segregation.[1][2] The group was named Jack and Jill and grew into a leadership organization for mothers and their children.[3][4][5] The organization aims to improve the quality of life of children, particularly African-American children.[5] Its original membership included a number of Black Catholics, one of the largest religious groups in Philadelphia.[6][7]

The second chapter of Jack and Jill was established in New York City in 1939.[8] Its third chapter was formed in Washington, D.C. in 1940.[8] The local group became an inter-city association, expanding to Pittsburgh; Baltimore; Boston; Buffalo; Columbus, Ohio; Durham, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee between 1944 and 1946.[8] On June 1, 1946, eight of its ten chapters met and voted to become a national organization.[8] It was incorporated in the State of New York on August 28, 1947.[8]

In its early years, Jack and Jill was a prestigious club that helped African American children "fit into white America".[9] The first Jack and Jill Teen Conference was held in Philadelphia on June 16, 1951.[8]

During the 1960s, its membership declined.[8] In the mid-1970s through the late 1980s, Jack and Jill had a resurgence as middle-class Blacks moved into the suburbs.[8] Its mission shifted from the assimilation of white culture to instilling ethnic pride into Black children.[8] Chapters began to offer Afrocentric programs, including an African rite of passage for teenagers going to college.[8] The club also hosted Kwansaa celebrations.[8] In May 1987, it held its first annual National Black Family Day to celebrate African American culture, promote the adoption of Black children, and talk about the needs of children in Africa.[8]

As of 2022, there are over 230 Jack and Jill chapters in 35 states in the United States, with over 10,000 mother members and 40,000 parents and children.[10] It is headquartered at 1930 17th Street NW in Washington, D.C.[11]

Symbols

The society was named for the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill.[1] Jack and Jill's badge consists of interlocking letter J's. It was designed by Alberta B. Turner, the 4th National President, in 1954.[8] Its motto is "Let's Work, Let's Play, Let's Live Together".[12] Its publication, Up the Hill, was first issued in May 1948 and is a yearbook of the organization's members.[8][1]

Membership

Membership in Jack and Jill is by invitation and is selective.[1][9] Each chapter has limited membership of around 45, with new members only being admitted when a current member's child graduates from high school.[1] Historically, its members were well-educated professional women, such as academics, doctors, and lawyers, or were the wives of CEOs, doctors, funeral directors, lawyers, ministers, professors, or teachers.[9][1][2] In 1978, The Washington Times noted that the true sign of making it in Washington, D.C.'s Black society was being chosen for membership in Jack and Jill.[1]

Children can be members until they graduate from high school but can rejoin after they marry and have their own family.[1]

Philanthropy

In 1968, the organization created its philanthropic arm, the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, incorporated in the State of Illinois.[8][2] The foundation has been responsible for the origin and funding of many educational and charitable projects benefiting children and families in communities across the United States. It has contributed millions of dollars to Black-focused organizations and projects, including: Africare, the American Red Cross, the United Negro College Fund, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the March of Dimes, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.[8][12]

Criticism

Jack and Jill has been criticized by many African Americans as "a bunch of elitist, bourgeois, light-skinned Blacks who want to be white".[9] In its early years, the organization was known for a membership that who had "good hair" and a light skin color.[9][2] The Washington Post notes that Jack and Jill's "critics have described it as a 'snobbish club for black elites.'"[1] However, its members considered their organization to be "selective" rather than snobbish.[2]

Notable members

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Thompson, Veronon C. (October 4, 1978) "Jack and Jill Chapters: The Top of the Hill For Black Professionals". The Washington Post. Accessed October 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Terrell, Angela Brown (April 22, 1979). "For the Young, a Chance to See Where Life Can Go". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. I1, I4. Retrieved 2024-10-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Appiah, Anthony (1999). Africana. New York: Basic Civitas Books. ISBN 0-465-00071-1.
  4. ^ Graham, Lawrence (2000). Our Kind of People. New York: Perennial. ISBN 0-06-098438-4.
  5. ^ a b c d e Rohrlich, Marianne (July 19, 1998). "Feeling Isolated at the Top, Seeking Roots". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Hunt, Donald (September 23, 2020). "Frank E. Gilbert, Esq., longtime Philadelphia attorney, dies at 83". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Honey, Maureen (October 1989). "Survival and song: Women poets of the Harlem Renaissance". Women's Studies. 16 (3–4): 293–315. doi:10.1080/00497878.1989.9978771. ISSN 0049-7878.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Our History". Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e Coard, Michael (January 18, 2019). "Coard: Jack and Jill: Elitist, effective, either, neither, or both?". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  10. ^ "About Us - jjncc.org". www.jackandjillncc.org. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "National Headquarters". Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Newest Chapter of Jack and Jill of American Chartered in Essex County". The Montclair Times. October 26, 2000. pp. C10. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Kippelen, Virginie (August 7, 2024). "Tyler Mitchell Presents Blackness Rooted in Black Utopia (pt. 2)". The Atlanta Constitution. pp. C2. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

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