Jeannette B. Jack, affectionately known as 'Big Mommie' throughout the Baton Rouge community, has passed away, leaving behind a legacy of connection and presence in the area surrounding Southern University and A&M College.
Jack's nickname itself speaks to the role she occupied in the lives of those around her—a maternal, welcoming figure who became woven into the fabric of community life near one of Louisiana's most prominent historically Black universities. Southern University and A&M College, founded in 1880, has long served as an anchor institution in Baton Rouge, and the surrounding community includes countless individuals whose lives intersect with the university's students, faculty, staff, and their families.
The announcement of Jack's passing, reported through obituaries in The Advocate, has prompted community members to reflect on her significance and the relationships she cultivated. In HBCU communities, figures like Jack often serve as unofficial connectors—people who know everyone, remember details about lives and families, and create spaces where students far from home can find warmth and belonging. These individuals, though they may not hold formal titles, become essential to the social and emotional infrastructure that sustains campus life and the broader community ecosystem.
Southern University and A&M College sits at the heart of Baton Rouge's African American cultural and educational landscape. The university's presence shapes the surrounding neighborhoods, and relationships between the institution and local community members like Jack help define what it means to be part of an HBCU ecosystem. Students, many of whom come from across Louisiana and beyond, often rely on community anchors to feel at home during their time on campus and beyond.
The loss of someone known as 'Big Mommie' represents more than the passing of one individual—it marks the absence of institutional memory, of someone who held stories and connections across generations. In HBCU communities, these figures often bridge gaps between students and the broader city, between temporary residents and permanent community members, between the university and the neighborhoods that surround it.
As the Baton Rouge community grieves Jack's passing, her legacy serves as a reminder of the quiet, essential work that community members undertake to support and nurture those connected to institutions like Southern University and A&M College. Her affectionate nickname suggests she was someone who gave freely of her time, attention, and care—the kind of presence that shapes how students remember their college years and their connection to place.
Why this matters: HBCU communities depend on figures like Jeannette B. Jack—individuals who create belonging and continuity in the spaces where students build their identities and form lifelong bonds. The loss of such community anchors reminds us that the strength of historically Black universities extends far beyond campus gates, rooted in relationships with neighbors who open their homes and hearts to students and families seeking connection and support.