Children's development worth the price From the beginning, some have considered Jack and Jill an elitist group because of the professional and social status of its members. Despite its reputation for being a club for the black bourgeoisie, group members have also helped those in need by providing financial assistance and free holiday meals to needy families. The group participated in the first Mother's March for Polio in Tallahassee, and they also participated annually in the American Heart Association run. People were chosen first because they were mothers and secondly because they could carry out the ideals of the organization. To be a member of Jack and Jill, mothers must have children between the ages of 2 and 19.
Most women join when their children are young.
Boys are Jacks and girls are Jills. While fathers can participate in group activities, the mothers hold the actual membership in the club. Eva Wanton, FAMU associate vice president for academic affairs, joined the organization in 1976. Her daughter Dwanna, now 23, was 2 years old at the time. Wanton was Jack and Jill national president from 1984 to 1988.