Blues Babe Foundation

Location: Pennsylvania
Category: Education

The Foundation seeks to provide financial support and mentoring for those students who have shown the aptitude and commitment to their education, but whose families may not have the resources to ensure completion of their undergraduate degrees. In addition to its support of young people through their public schools, the Foundation will also fulfill its mission by including support of community centers and community-focused organizations as part of its scope.

“Blues Babe” is the affectionate nickname given to Jill’s grandmother because of the bluish tint in her brown complexion. To this day, Blues Babe continues to provide inspiration for both her family and for others around her. Of her grandmother, Jill told Essence Magazine: “My grandmother came from a different era, a different time, telling her story without saying any words. She would hum while she cooked and cleaned. But more important, she would hum and sing praises. To have someone with that kind of “herstory” express herself without words is a kind of wealth that you can’t put any price on. Sometimes when I sing, I get close to that place. Then I can go deep into the history of who we are as a people.” That the Foundation was named in her grandmother’s honor serves as a reminder that multigenerational solutions to community problems not only link past to present, but can provide a roadmap for future success.