Joan Jones facts for kids

Joan Carol Jones (born September 26, 1939 – died April 1, 2019) was a Canadian businesswoman and a strong leader for civil rights. She was born in the United States and grew up in Ontario, Canada. Joan was married to Rocky Jones, a well-known activist from Nova Scotia. She helped him become more involved in the fight for Black rights. Together, they were important figures during the 1960s. They helped start Kwacha House, a youth club in Halifax. They also played a big part in bringing Stokely Carmichael and the ideas of the Black Panther Party to Halifax. With Carmichael's help, they formed the Black United Front. This group worked to stop unfair treatment in jobs and housing. They also spoke out against police unfairness in the Black community.

Early Life and Education

Joan Bonner was born in Buffalo, New York in 1939. Her parents were Eugene and Elsie Bonner. Later, her family moved to Oakville, Ontario. She finished high school at Oakville Trafalgar High School.

After school, Joan moved to Toronto to find work. There, she met and married Burnley Jones. He was a fifth-generation African Canadian. This means his family had lived in Canada since the late 1700s. Joan and Burnley moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Burnley became known as Rocky. He taught at Dalhousie. He also helped create the Black Historical and Educational Research Organization (HERO Project). This project collected stories about Black culture. In 1965, Joan and Rocky started Kwacha House. It was Eastern Canada's first self-help program for young people. It helped those from different cultures and lower-income backgrounds.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Joan and Rocky's home was a meeting place for civil rights leaders. They talked about many of the same problems faced by African Americans. These problems included deep-rooted racism. Nova Scotia had been a safe place for Black Loyalists. These were American slaves who fought for the British. After the American Revolutionary War, they came to Canada. Refugees from the War of 1812 also came. Later, rebellious Jamaican Maroons settled in Nova Scotia before moving to Sierra Leone. Their descendants stayed in Halifax and other cities. This led to a large group of minority citizens. They often faced unfair treatment in housing and jobs.

This community was not large enough to have much political power. Schools were often separated by race. Black students often left school early. They also faced more policing and unfair arrests. High unemployment was another big problem. In the mid-1960s, a project called urban renewal happened. It led to the tearing down of a Black community in Halifax called Africville.

Joan and Rocky were part of a growing movement for Black empowerment. Rocky was often seen as the public face of this movement. But Joan was the strong organizer behind many political events. Their home was a center for civil rights activities.

Joan managed the daily work at Kwacha House. She created programs for young people. These programs helped them avoid dropping out of school or getting into trouble. They also helped young people feel more confident. Joan ran these programs for many years.

In 1968, the Joneses brought the Black Panther Party to Halifax. With their help, the Black United Front was formed. This group fought against unfairness in jobs and housing. They also challenged authorities on police unfairness. Because of their work, Joan and Rocky were watched by the police. This surveillance was revealed in 1994. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police apologized for it. Joan, who was divorced from Rocky by then, said the apology did not fix the harm caused. She felt it had hurt their chances for jobs and income. She said, "I strongly believe that they interfered in our ability to have certain jobs or to have an income in this city."

Career and Activism

Joan worked for the Canadian public works department. She also worked for the provincial government. She was a businesswoman and owned two clothing stores. She also worked at Nova Scotia's Legal Aid office. She retired from there in 2008.

In the 1990s, Joan wrote a column about race relations. It was printed regularly in the Chronicle Herald newspaper in Halifax. The newspaper also published a tribute after she passed away. It was noted that while she wrote her column, the newspaper received many negative letters about it.

In 1995, Joan led the effort to make Black History Month a national event in Canada. It became nationally observed in 1996. When asked about her work, she said that even though racial issues seemed very hard, she would keep fighting to end racism. She wanted to be a role model for young people. She believed the fight was very important. She said, "It's part of our responsibility to educate, nurture and bring along the next group that are going to have to deal with those things."

Later Life and Passing

Joan Jones passed away on April 1, 2019. She was 79 years old. She is survived by her daughters Tracey and Casey. She also had sons Agassou, Patrick, and Shaka. She had 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Rocky Jones passed away in 2013. Joan and Rocky remained close friends until his death.

See also

• Black Panther Party
• Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia
• Malcolm X
• Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
• Black Nova Scotians
• Viola Desmond