Janet Smollett Is an Activist & Her Children Joined in on Protests in Their Childhood

Janet Smollett is a mother of six Hollywood entrants, including a famous screen actor whose career took a hit after his involvement in an alleged self-inflicted crime. All six of her children look up to her and their late father for the work they've done in the past.

Jussie Smollett is well known for portraying Jamal Lyon on the Lee Daniels-produced Fox TV drama, "Empire." His career began when his mother, Janet Smollett, pushed him and his siblings in the right direction earning them roles on a 90's sitcom that lasted for one season.

Janet's daughter, known as Denise Frazer, on the 90's sitcom "Full House," and her son Jussie, speak about her activism and their inheritance thereof. Contrary to the good values she instilled in her kids, Jussie was hit with 16 felony charges for allegedly staging what he called a homophobic and racist attack against him. Drama aside, the head of their family binds everything.

Janet's Children Often Posted Heartwarming Posts About Her

Janet and her husband, Joel, have six children together. With both of their names beginning with the letter J, they continued the pattern with their kids' names. Janet's eldest child, Jojo Smollett, was born in New York on August 28, 1977. After Jojo, Janet welcomed Jazz Smollett, Jussie Smollett, Jurnee Smollett, Jake Smollett, and the youngest sibling, Jocqui Smollett.

Each of the Smollett siblings made a name for themselves in Hollywood. Jussie and Jurnee are considered the most accomplished from the lot, but everyone has tasted success. Outside of the sitcom they all worked on together, Jurnee got cast in "Full House" as a child alongside Andrea Barber.

Jussie and Jurnee have teamed up to launch a production company, and there have been reports that their sister Jazz is also involved in the company's workings. The siblings stick by each other, like when they released a statement defending Jussie after being deemed him guilty last year. They also don't shy away from collaborating either, as they did for a cookbook in 2018.

A compilation of all the cuisine secrets their family has maintained makes up the content of their cookbook. Janet managed to keep her family as a tight unit using her culinary skills, despite their constant moving over the years. Some reports say that they underwent 13 relocations, to be exact.

Janet's children highly appreciate everything she has done for them, and because of her selflessness, they extensively attempt to reciprocate the energy she puts into them. Once, Jussie took her to London to fulfill a promise that he had made in the past. He shared pictures of them in London and wrote a touching caption:

"I promised Mommy 16 years ago I'd take her on a trip to London, just she and I, when I got a lil somethin somethin to stand on. Grateful the universe allowed it. Even more grateful for this woman. It's not a 10th of what she deserves. Just grateful, man. Next trip she says is Ghana."

On Mother's Day 2018, Jazz and Jurnee spent the day with their mother, showing her love and appreciation. Jazz shared a post on Instagram acknowledging Janet's efforts to raise her and her five other siblings.

Later that day, the family got together for what seemed to be a Mother's Day dinner on Jussie's Instagram post. The caption revealed that his biggest fear is his mother being unaware of how much of an effect she has had on her children's lives and how deep their appreciation for her goes.

Janet Lost Her Husband To Cancer

In 2015, Janet's husband and parenting partner of six succumbed to cancer, aged 58 at the time. They met each other decades ago while actively involved in civil rights activism in the Bay Area. They come from different households and combine to form a home of diversity and good family values.

Janet was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 27, 1952. She comes from an African American background, while her now-deceased husband had Jewish and Polish ancestry. Later this year, Janet will be celebrating her 71st birthday.

Her children are familiar faces on television, more so her son Jussie who starred in the popular TV series "Empire," alongside Terrence Howard, who is poised to wed his ex-wife Mira Pak for the second time. Jurnee has also tied the knot; however, in 2020, she underwent a divorce from singer Josiah Bell.

Janet was more than a caring mother when her children were young. In a 2016 interview, Jussie and his sister Jurnee revealed that their mother was their acting coach, and her devotion to helping them improve played a massive role in all the siblings landing their TV show, "On Our Own."

Their participation in the Black Lives Matter movement did not go unnoticed, and their continued support for the LGBTQ community reflects Janet's efforts to strengthen their minds.

Janet always prioritized Janet's involvement in family matters. Still, she exerted herself in civil rights campaigning alongside her husband and Black Panthers' co-founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Jussie revealed that one of his mother's first encounters with mentorship was when Julian Bond guided her.

Janet Is an Activist and Her Children Followed Suit

Janet has been protesting for as long as her children can remember. The residue from all the fighting for change she did in the past has found its way onto her children and their mindset. They have adopted their mother's activist spirit and have been approaching injustices head-on all their lives.

When Jurnee was just five years old, she participated in a protest for the first time alongside her mother. Fast forward to recent times, and Janet's children are still involved in civil and social activism. Jurnee also revealed that Janet did not stop them from seeing and learning about the injustices of yesteryear.

Their participation in the Black Lives Matter movement did not go unnoticed, and their continued support for the LGBTQ community reflects Janet's efforts to strengthen their minds. Alfre Woodard said their sense of justice is strong and permeates their every move.