Jones, Lola M.

Lola Jones was born in Boston, Ma. of Jamaican parents. She graduated from Wayne State University, then moved to Flint, MI where she became active in the community. She came to Ann Arbor in 1964, earning a masters degree in social work from the University of Michigan. During this same period, she became active in the struggle for an open housing ordinance. She then joined the counseling staff of Washtenaw Community College, where she established the Adult Resource Center for non traditional students, and served as its first director. Beginning in the early 1980s, Lola Jones has produced " Another Ann Arbor," a local television program which highlights the achievements of African Americans in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. The goal of the program was to document and record the contributions of African Americans to the community. In 1991 she produced a documentary on the history of black women in Ann Arbor entitled " A Woman's Town ." A follow-up documentary, " A Change was in the Air ", produced in 1994, documented the civil rights struggle in Ann Arbor in the 1960's. A third documentary, " Take It to the Top " was a motivational piece directed towards junior high school students. It highlighted the careers of young African Americans who grew up in Ann Arbor, attended local schools and churches, and were then carrying out successful careers in Ann Arbor.

From the guide to the Lola M. Jones videotapes, 1983-1995, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)