She shared about her motivation for "giving back."  Doze reflected on the positive impact others left on her when she was a child.  Her community reached out to support her family when she lost her home to fire just before Christmas. 

How timely.  Another Jones family member has recently been affected by a fire to their home.  Let her example inspire us to uplift another family in need.  We never know how our good deeds today pay forward in the future.

There are school aged children affected by this fire that will be starting school again this fall and have lost everything.  Anything we can do to support is greatly appreciated.

Gift cards to grocery stores, Walmart and Target or anything our family can spare to help another Jones family in need in this time is appreciated. 

Please send donations to:

Kenja Jones

500 William Street # 331

Oakland, CA 94612

To The Jones Family This is your ( Uncle Joe)  DR. Willie O. Jones. I won e-election to the Compton City Council on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

For four more years!!!! 

I am proud to be a member of the JONES FAMILY.

May God continue to bless each one of you always.

What does being a part of the Jones Family mean to you?

 Sallomé Hralima, Brooklyn, NY

Being a part of the Jones Family means that I have been bestowed love, value, courage, brilliance, talent, charisma, and faith.  For me it means I have people to call when I want to share a victory and when I need someone to remind me of my greatness, when I need professional advice and when I need to vent.  It means there is a dancer, doctor, filmmaker, artist, lawyer, educator, politician, therapist, writer, craftsman, real estate broker, engineer, holistic health practitioner, advocate, preacher, organizer, scientist, professor, doula, travel agent, construction worker, anthropologist, marketing exec, entrepreneur, police officer, editor, CPA, musician and more in the building!  It means I am well prepared to face all challenges and to create a new reality for myself and others.  It means I will never be forgotten.

 Alexis E. Harris, Berkeley, CA

When I think about being a "Jones" I feel secure and I feel the strength behind that name.  Even as a a part of this family through marriage (Cleveland Jones & Vera Stein Jones aka Myrtis "Mary" Bell), I value the history of our family and the accomplishments that the sibling were able to make once they migrated to the North. The evolution of our family makes me proud.  

 Niwonna Jones, Atlanta, GA

When I think of what it means to be a Jones I get overwhelmed with emotion. There is no feeling like the feeling of being loved supported, nurtured, educated, befriended, reared, respected all at the same time. There is so much diversity, honor, tradition that comes along with being a Jones. Being a Jones is not only a privilege and an honor but a responsibility. In 2006, we adopted the West African Andrinka symbol that means "help me and let me help you". Interdependence and cooperation. Without it, we are nothing. Being a Jones reminds me of the Gospel song that says, "I pray for you, you Pray for me, I love you, I need you to survive. I won't harm you with words from my mouth, I love you, I need you to survive. It is his will that every need be supplied. You are important to me. I need you to survive."

 Kim Brooks, CA

What I am most proud of being a part of this family is the abundance of love for each other. There are many times when we may not see eye to eye on some issuses. But, it is the love that keeps us bound together. I remember some moments when during a family meeting, my grandfather (Bigdaddy) and Uncle David were arguing over some policy structure. They did this almost every meeting. I asked Bigdaddy why do they always do that? He said, because we are brothers and we can do that. That is what family does. We love through the good and the bad. When my grandfather passed, I felt such a great lost and disconnect that I cannot explain. When my grandfather was alive he would say "I love you" and "call me when you get home", I was thinking as I was leaving the hospital after he had passed, that no one is going to say "I love you", the way he did with much love and concern ever again. Then one day after a meeting, as I was leaving Uncle David said "I love you". It was filled with that love, that "Jones" love. It's a solid love. It's a love saying you "belong to something great with ties bound to one another". "No one left behind, No one forgotten" He stepped in and took over where the void was no longer there. That is what we have to do as a family, step up to the plate and continue where they (ancestors) left off at. I still cry when thinking of it. I have a picture of Alexis and Bigdaddy talking and another picture of Zaire and my mother talking. Great grandparents talking to their great grandchildren. "Ties bound to each other passed down". I boost of our family's accomplishments, individually and within the family unit. There are some resistance to change. I have had some resistance, but I know the changes can only make the family better. The resistance comes with how the change is presented. I know family members are very passionate about their ideas. But they must keep in mind there are those who are very passionate with the way they are doing things now. There is a way to present change, without offending each other. Keeping in mind we are family, FIRST and FOREMOST!!!! I am a Proud member of the JONES FAMILY!!!!

There are several ways to browse the family tree.

The Family View shows the person you have selected in the center, with his/her photo on the left and notes on the right. Above are the father and mother and below are the children.

The Ancestor Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph above and children below. On the right are the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

The Descendant Chart shows the person you have selected in the left, with the photograph and parents below. On the right are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The site can generate various Reports for each name in the family tree. You can select a name from the list on the top-right menu bar. In addition to the charts and reports you have Photo Albums, the Events list and the Relationships tool.

Family photographs are organized in the Photo Index. Each Album's photographs are accompanied by a caption. To enlarge a photograph just click on it. Keep up with the family birthdays and anniversaries in the Events list. Birthdays and Anniversaries of living persons are listed by month.

Want to know how you are related to Mahalia Jones? Click on the "Family Tree" page (above), log-in, and check out the Relationships tool.

We are blessed to have a large family.  The reunions are filled with new babies, new in-laws, and plenty of surprise at how big so-an-so got.  This site intends to serve as a reference.  We want to make sure that no matter where you go, or what changes you experience, you always have a way to feel connected to the Jones Family.

Consequently, we want to make sure that "No one is forgotten."  Help us by gathering the following information and sending it to jafrolegacy@gmail.com:

1.      First, Middle, Last Names (Jr/Sr)
2.      Alive or Passed On
3.      E-mail
4.      Born on (around, approximately) Month, Day, Year, Place
5.      Birth Order (Adopted, unknown, only child, first, second….last)
6.      Died on (around, approximately) Month, Day, Year, Place
7.      Name Change on (around, approximately) Month, Day, Year, Changed to
8.      Events – Retirement, Military Service, Christening, Naturalization,
etc (around, approximately) Month, Day, Year, Notes
9.      Spouse/Partner Status (married, never married, divorced)
10.     Married/Divorced on (around, approximately) Month, Day, Year, Place
11.     Given name of Husband/Wife 

In order to change your own information on the site, you'll have to click the link that says: "Request Invitation."  From there it will request that you submit your name, e-mail address, and why you would like to view the website.

If you do not want full access to edit your information or see the website in its totality, simply send the information requested above to jafrolegacy@gmail.com and your information will be added/updated by the webmaster. 

Adinkra symbols are from the Ashanti (Asante) people from Ghana, West Africa.  They can be seen on fabric andwalls, in pottery and logos.  Many people are familiar with the Sankofa symbol, which is represented by the bird looking back with an egg in its mouth or a heart with curls at its base.

The symbol that has been dubbed the "JAFRO Tattoo" is called BOA ME NA ME MMOA WO, that is Twi for "help me and let me help you."  It is the symbol of cooperation and interdependence.

Alexis Harris

Sallomé Hralima

Najah Shakir

Jafro.com is a tool for strengthening our family's bond and demonstrating the power we wield as a unit. The website provides the Jones family with information about our ancestry, reunions, scholarship, news and upcoming events & projects. It is a place for the children to do research for family tree school assignments, for entrepreneurs to access resources, and for elders to impart wisdom to younger generations.

The Digital Age enables us to share our history, experiences and wealth of information regardless of how far apart we live. 

As the site grows, members will be able to:

• pay dues
• access and add to our family tree
• get information about reunions, upcoming events, and the family bank
• add and view photos & videos 
• retrieve archives and geneology information
• receive and add news about family members and relevant worldwide news
• apply for the JAFRO Scholarship
• find family who are in your region and/or have knowledge about specific industries
• purchase items (tickets, reunion t-shrits, etc) whose proceeds go toward growing a JAFRO estate

Let's make our ancestors proud by using the latest technology to forward their intentions.