Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 8, 2024

Mary Jane Richardson Jones (1819–1909) was an American abolitionist, philanthropist, and suffragist. Born in Tennessee to free black parents, Jones moved with her family to Illinois during her teenage years. Along with her husband, John, she was a leading African-American figure in the early history of Chicago. The Jones household was a stop on the Underground Railroad and a center of abolitionist activity. The Joneses helped hundreds of fugitives fleeing slavery. After her husband's death in 1879, Jones continued to support African-American civil rights and advancement in Chicago, and became a suffragist. She was active in the women's club movement and mentored a new generation of younger black leaders, such as Fannie Barrier Williams, Ida B. Wells, and Daniel Hale Williams. She also made extensive philanthropic contributions. Jones died at age 89 and was buried under a tombstone which reads "Grandma Jonesie". A Chicago park was named in her honor in 2005.