Jack and Jill (organization)

Jack and Jill of America is an American organization formed during the Great Depression. It grew out of the community work of upper-class African American women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who wanted their children to have cultural opportunities, develop leadership skills, and form social networks even in a segregated society. Graham (2000), p.22 ] Jack and Jill publishes a national journal and has 187 local chapters in the United States. [Appiah et al. (1999), p.455] It is known in many black circles as an organization of "well-off" black families. The organization is mentioned in Lawrence Otis Graham's book "Our Kind of People", which talks about the black upper class and dedicated an entire chapter to Jack and Jill. [Graham (2000)] The youth that are involved take part in ski trips, pool parties, cotillions, holiday soirees, and conferences. Mothers have to be invited into the group, much like memberships in country clubs. Members are usually professional women who are doctors, lawyers, business women, or are married to well-off individuals. Children who graduate out of the program are granted legacy status and automatically join when they have children of their own. Today, there are around 218 chapters across the United States and the world, and about 30,000 parents and children who are members

ee also

*American Black Upper Class

Footnotes

References

*cite book | last = Appiah | first = Anthony | title = Africana | publisher = Basic Civitas Books | location = New York | year = 1999 | isbn = 0465000711
*cite book | last = Graham | first = Lawrence | title = Our Kind of People | publisher = Perennial | location = New York | year = 2000 | isbn = 0060984384

External links

* [http://www.jack-and-jill.org Jack And Jill of America, Inc.]