The Greater Chattanooga Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated and the Bessie Smith Cultural Center will host Black History Expo Part Mbili: Sitting In on History. This will be an opportunity for children ages 10 and above to learn about the history of the 1960 Civil Rights Movement in Chattanooga and the sit-ins that took place here from members of the movement themselves.
The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, from 1-3 p.m. at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E Martin Luther King Blvd.
Formed in 1938, under the inspiration of the late Marion Stubbs Thomas and 20 other African American mothers, Jack and Jill of America became an organization that focused on instilling values and leadership skills in their children and providing "all the opportunities possible for a normal and graceful approach to a beautiful adulthood.” To this end, the chapter in Chattanooga engages in programming that enables participants to “create a medium of contact for children which will stimulate growth and development and provide children constructive educational, cultural, civic, health, recreational and social programs”.