Jack and Jill of America has been shaping the lives of Black children for 85 years. It was started by moms in Philly.

In January of 1938, concert pianist Marion Stubbs Thomas invited 20 of her friends to her home in South Philadelphia to discuss starting a social club. The idea came from her friend Louise Truitt Jackson Dench, who hoped the joy and kinship of Christmas could be felt year-round.

With Dench’s vision in mind, Thomas created the Jack and Jill of America, a service organization of mothers dedicated to empowering Black children and families, ensuring they have the knowledge and resources to grow into young leaders. And after decades of advocacy and community work, the mother members and children of the group joined hands Saturday to celebrate 85 years of history.

“It’s just amazing to see how the vision of two women created this organization that is now a national staple for African American families,” said Sakina Parks, the president of the founding chapter in Philadelphia. “We’ve been around during the Great Depression and the civil rights movement, and Jack and Jill has been in the background doing the work with our children to make them leaders in Philadelphia and on a national level.”

Founded at a time when racial discrimination and segregation loomed over the nation, Parks, a mother of three and a third-generation member of Jack and Jill, said the organization was a way for Black mothers to give their children the education and experiences they often didn’t receive inside their schools.

Between field trips, social events and health, financial and cultural programs, Thomas and Dench helped lay the groundwork for Parks, 43, and generations of other mother members to follow.

“It wouldn’t have survived had it not been for the dedication, the vision and the desire of the mothers of each of our chapters across the country to continue the mission of our founding mothers, which was to create these experiences, skills and community service opportunities for our children,” said Parks, an East Oak Lane resident.

As a kid growing up in the Jack and Jill program, Parks’ husband Donald Parks, 43, said he was always excited to meet other Black boys and girls his age, from similar neighborhoods and upbringings. His fondest memories were the times he and his friends went to team conferences each year to connect with other Jack and Jill members, or the nights he spent partying at the Copacabana club in New York as a teen.

Donald Parks said the organization also opened his eyes to the importance of community service. He’s watched his three kids fall in love with the organization much like he did.

“It’s such a great thing to see them have similar experiences to me and how it’s really fruitful,” he said. “I see them forging the same type of relationships, having close friends that they’ll probably have for a lifetime.”

Since its inception, Jack and Jill has developed into 262 chapters and more than 40,000 members across the country. The organization has also donated funds to support local and national programs and nonprofits like the March of Dimes, American Red Cross, and Philadelphia’s Philabundance Food Bank, Barbershop Books, and others. A national celebration of the 85th anniversary, with groups from around the country, will take later this month in Washington, DC.

At its core, national recording secretary Ily Houston said the success of Jack and Jill is because of the children.

“I think it’s the power of Black magic,” Houston, 47, a Fairmount resident, said. “As moms, you go hard and do what you need to do for your children. By keeping children at the focus, it gives you that extra push. And it’s the sheer determination to teach our children and give them the leadership skills they need to develop.”

With 85 years of history, Houston, a mother of two, said she couldn’t help but think about the women who made it all possible. Having been a member since 2007, she hopes they are happy with how the program has evolved since the night they came together in South Philly.

“We’re here to create future leaders, so I hope that we are still working within the vision that they had with the organization in 1938,” the Fairmount resident said. “And I’m hoping that we’ve done it gracefully, and that we’ve made them proud and have really taken what was a small children’s club in South Philly and made it into a national organization that has had true impact in this country for the last 85 years.”

For the years to come, Houston said she wants the mothers of Jack and Jill to continue pouring into their community and stand on the principles laid out by their mother founders.

“I just want us to keep our vision and keep our children first and all that we do,” she said. “Society has changed our culture a lot of has shifted, but we need to continue to meet the needs of the children.”