Maya Jack And Jill -

A mother named pulls me aside. She is a federal attorney. Her daughter is one of three Black girls in a class of 400. “You want to know if Jack and Jill is elitist?” she asks. “Yes. Absolutely. We drive expensive cars. We have second homes. We are the 1% of the 13%.”

By A. Jordan Photography by Elena Mendez maya jack and jill

The Maya Chapter of Jack and Jill of America does not exist. But walk into any affluent suburb on a Saturday morning, find the community center where a fleet of Black luxury SUVs is parked, and listen closely. You will hear the clink of teacups, the murmur of strategy, and the laughter of children who are learning, against all odds, that they can be both brilliant and Black. A mother named pulls me aside

The children are not immune to this sorting. The teens at Maya Chapter know who lives in the “big house” versus the “townhouse.” They know whose parents donate to the United Negro College Fund and whose parents donate to the local art museum. They are learning, in real time, the nuances of Black class stratification. “You want to know if Jack and Jill is elitist