Carole Robertson Day
Each year, during our Jack and Jill Day celebration, we kick off the year by remembering and celebrating the childhood of Jack and Jill member Carole Robertson. We focus on telling the story of Carole’s life as an active and engaged young person who used her involvement in activities to make a difference in her community. The aim is to
connect children to the living Carole by focusing on what made her time in the world relatable. We emphasize how she lived and her life as a child rather than just focusing on the tragedy of her sacrifice as one of four girls that were killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama.
Founder's Day
Founder’s Day celebrates Jack and Jill’s national founder, Marion Turner Stubbs Thomas. On January 24, 1938, She envisioned a social club that connected her children with others from local Black families at a time when cultural opportunities were limited for most young African-Americans during the
Great Depression and because of Jim Crow laws. She invited 20 women friends to a meeting in her Philadelphia home. From Marion’s idea, and the support of several others, the first chapter of Jack and Jill of America was organized. The organization has since grown into over 220 chapters in the United States and Germany and has become “one of the country's most prestigious service organizations of Black families.”
National Black Family Day
National Black Family Day was originated in May of 1987 when The Honorable William Gray III, Congressman from Pennsylvania, entered a tribute to Jack and Jill of America into the Congressional record. On May 5, 1987 the organization embarked upon a Black Family Day of Celebration.
Activities were to focus on the needs of children worldwide with special attention to the needs of children in Africa through our partnership with Africare. Over time we have broadened our scope to focus on aspects of family and the cultural heritage of families for African Americans. Activities are planned around the family.
Black History Month Celebration
Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.
Annual Fundraiser Gala
Party with a purpose. Join us for our annual fundraising event benefiting a local or regional charity and the Jack and Jill Foundation.
ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
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Greater Hartford Family Christmas Celebration
Annual Christmas party and Pajama Jam fundraiser benefiting Hartford Boys and Girls Club. The Christmas celebration is a ticketed event open to prospective families.
MLK Jr. Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"
Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities.