Mary Jane Richardson Jones

Mary Jane Richardson Jones (1819–December 26, 1909) was an American abolitionist, philanthropist, suffragist, and activist. Born in Tennessee, she moved to Illinois with her family as a teenager, where she lived the rest of her life. Along with her husband, John Jones, she was a leading African-American figure in the early history of Chicago and a prominent citizen of the city. After his 1879 death, she continued to support the cause of African-American civil rights and advancement in Chicago, as well as becoming a suffragist. Historian Wanda A. Hendricks has described her as a wealthy "aristocratic matriarch, presiding over the [city's] black elite for two decades".

Mary Jane Richardson Jones

Mary Jane Richardson Jones (1819–December 26, 1909) was an American abolitionist, philanthropist, suffragist, and activist. Born in Tennessee, she moved to Illinois with her family as a teenager, where she lived the rest of her life. Along with her husband, John Jones, she was a leading African-American figure in the early history of Chicago and a prominent citizen of the city. After his 1879 death, she continued to support the cause of African-American civil rights and advancement in Chicago, as well as becoming a suffragist. Historian Wanda A. Hendricks has described her as a wealthy "aristocratic matriarch, presiding over the [city's] black elite for two decades".