Chapter History

In 1954, the Pittsburgh Chapter hosted the Seventh Annual Convention of the National Organization and in 1967; the Chapter hosted the Fifteenth

Eastern Regional Mother’s Conference, which had as its theme, “Strengthening the Black Family through Improved Communications”.

The Upper New York and Pennsylvania Mother’s Cluster was hosted by the Pittsburgh Chapter in October 1989. At the end of the cluster, the chapter was cited for its organizational skills, hospitality and its success incorporating community and retail sources. In 1991, the chapter received a prestigious plaque at the Regional Conference for its Jumoke Project community service, designed to increase the understanding of African cultures.

Throughout our history, the Pittsburgh Chapter has addressed social concerns. One such project was “The Talking Typewriter,” co-sponsored with the University of Pittsburgh from 1969 to 1974. It was an automated instructional program designed to raise the skills of low-income preschoolers in language arts, foreign language, and black history.

In 1992 and 1993, the chapter funded R.I.M – Reducing Infant Mortality. The project provided childcare education to high-risk pregnant teenagers to help offset the region’s high rate of black infant mortality.

Additional community projects have included monetary gifts and hands-on services to the American Cancer Society, Bestheda Community Food Bank, Bethlehem Haven, a shelter for homeless women, the Black College Tour, sponsored by the Church of Holy Cross, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Homewood Branch), Hill District YMCA, Kingsley House Community Center, Lemington Home for the Aged, Jubilee Soup Kitchen, N.E.E.D., the Negro Emergency Education Drive, which offers financial support to African American youth pursuing higher education; Ozanam Community Center, Sickle Cell Anemia, Three Rivers Adoption Agency, United Negro College Fund, Northside Christian Center (a home for children in alternative care), AAMI (African American Music Institute), Womanspace Ease (a home for abused families), The August Wilson Center and The Mel Blount Youth Home.

In 1994, the Pittsburgh Chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary. In recognition of the occasion, the University of Pittsburgh collaborated with the chapter to honor 50 student achievers from Wilkinsburg High School at a luncheon highlighting the numerous higher education opportunities available to them. In addition to acknowledging the achievements of the individual students, the chapter donated a book series to the school library.

In 1998, the Eastern Regional Teen Conference themed “Knowledge, Leadership and Service Yield Success” was held in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Chapter served as the hosts to more than 700 teens and adults. At the conference, Pittsburgh Chapter fathers became involved in supervising and chaperoning the teen participants with “Pops on Patrol”. Since then, other chapters throughout the region have followed this example to involve the fathers.

In October 1999, the Pittsburgh Chapter hosted the Upper New York/Pittsburgh Cluster. New York previously hosted the cluster in 1989 and 1994. Following both events, the Pittsburgh Chapter received citations and recognition for its organizational skills and hospitality.

 

The Presentation Ball is the signature event of the Pittsburgh chapter. The purpose of the event is threefold. First, it is a major fundraising event for a local charity and for the Jack and Jill of America Foundation. Second, it recognizes high school juniors and seniors for their accomplishments in the classroom and in the community. Third, it allows the chapter to showcase the organization to the Greater Pittsburgh area. In 2002, the chapter selected the August Wilson African-American Cultural Center as the charity we supported through the Ball’s fundraising. As a result, a community room was named in the chapter’s honor in the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

The Three Rivers Adoption Agency was the beneficiary for the 2004 ball and the Sickle Cell Foundation received the chapter’s support in 2006. The 2006 Ball was given special recognition at the 2007 Eastern Regional Conference. In 2011, the chapter supported The Neighborhood Academy and in 2012, the fundraising efforts went to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

In December 2014, the Pittsburgh Chapter celebrated its sixteenth biennial Presentation Ball where the accomplishments of 16 dynamic junior and senior students were celebrated at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Grand Ballroom. The charity recipient chosen was Healthy Start, Inc. and the chapter was to raise nearly $50,000 in contributions. This was the largest charitable donation in the chapter’s history.

In October 2015, the chapter participated for the first time in the African-American Heritage Day parade. The parade theme, “Selma to Pittsburgh”, focused on the struggles of African-Americans to obtain voting and civil rights. The chapter has engaged in community service projects and focused on aligning programming with the national theme: “The Power to Make a Difference” along with youth leadership, financial planning and the strong commitment to the community.

In December 2016 the seventeenth biennial Presentation Ball was held recognizing the ten presentees. The special evening was highlighted with the genesis of the presentation ball by the founder and Legacy Chair, Judith M. Davenport, DMD. Dr. Davenport’s reflected on the creation and significance of the ball nearly 35 years ago in which ten teens were also presented, with the theme “We’ve Only Just Begun”. The charity recipient was Gateway Medical Society’s Journey to Academic Medicine.