Mid-Atlantic Gastonia-Piedmont Chapter In September, we went back to our roots in the oldest African American neighborhood in Gastonia, at the Highland Community Garden. Our children tended the garden and made a “Living Tree” tribute to Carole Robertson. From there, we dominated the Warlick YMCA Trick or Trail 5K in October. One of our Jills came in first for ALL women! We jumped into a STEM-related “Story & Build” project in November, where our young ones designed and built homes too sturdy for the big, bad wolf to blow down! We also visited the newly opened African American Museum of History & Culture in Gastonia. We had a ball at our Annual Christmas Social, complete with a Crazy Sock Contest for the Dads, and our teens rounded out the calendar year with a men-only, Father-Son Real Talk session, hosted by our Father’s Auxiliary. We look forward to finishing strong in 2020!
Greensboro Chapter AGGIE PRIDE!!! On December 8, 2019, the Greensboro chapter celebrated the holiday season on the illustrious campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The Christmas cantata, Soul of Christmas, made us all remember our childhoods and the reason for the season. Our mothers, fathers, Jacks, and Jills enjoyed the performance and the fellowship with the Greensboro community. The chancellor, Harold Martin, asked to take a picture with the youth. He was so impressed with the number of participants in our organization and the awesome behavior throughout the program. We concluded our Christmas celebration at Magnolia House, also in Greensboro. This destination, listed in the now-famous “Green Book” as a safe place for African Americans to stay, is now a restaurant. The management gave us a history lesson while we enjoyed the food and each other. We look forward to more chapter-wide activities! Happy New Year!
Hampton Chapter The 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans at Point Comfort, Virginia, was commemorated on African Landing Day, August 25, 2019, in Hampton, Virginia. Upon an invitation to bring our “Living Black Wax Museum” to this auspicious occasion, children from each grade group came to life as a number of historical African-Americans in a community performance. As part of the same history-making event, our Junior and Senior Teens also participated in The Links Project, by Steve A. Prince, Artist and Director of Engagement at the William & Mary Muscrarelle Museum of Art, as part of the 1619/2019 Exhibition, now on permanent display at the university. Of our junior and senior teens’ participation, the artist noted, “ …it is important to hear all voices and the children of Jack and Jill served as truth sayers in this project, documenting the humanity of our shared stories for generations to come.” 88 | Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated - 2020