Loretta Jolly

On top of her many efforts within her school, business, and church, she was also an active member of a local female-led mutual aid group, the Friendly Benefit Club. This group, founded in 1937 by black women within the community, was created on the basis of activism and support for those in the community. The Friendly Benefit Club was a support system that filled the economic and social gaps caused by constant systemic disenfranchisement and the threat of constant violence by police.

One of the club’s most notable accomplishments is the establishment of a park on Delaware Street in 1951.³ After witnessing what a lack of communal space was doing to black youth, the women of the Friendly Benefit Club banded together to raise funds for and organize the construction of a playground for children within the neighborhood.

Their efforts to support themselves and their community did not stop there. The club often held charity events⁴ as well as participating in community social events.⁵ This included a common practice of serving hot meals or delivering baskets of nonperishable foods to poor families in the neighborhood so that no child would go hungry. Over the years, the group has donated thousands of dollars to poor families, hospitals, and nursing homes.⁶

In addition to mutual aid, the group often fostered a rich sense of identity and culture within the community, performing as a choir or putting on plays. Through these community gatherings, the club engaged in not only material aid, but also emotional and spiritual healing. This allowed the people (especially the children) of the community to have a rich experience, creating bonds and helping to heal generational trauma passed down by generations of racial violence against African Americans. Loretta Jolly was often found at the center of these projects — a testament to her resolve to invest in her community and foster a culture of trust and reciprocity.

The Friendly Benefit Club represented the resilience of the black community in Georgetown and the humanity of its people. Despite systemic racial violence and terror, Loretta Jolly and her peers managed to foster a social foundation for the community of Salisbury and the larger Georgetown area to stand on.

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After her husband Thornton died in 1962, she took over management of his small business; a family funeral home by the name of “Jolley Memorial Chapel.” Many described Loretta as unwavering in her generosity. If families did not have enough money to pay for a loved one’s funeral costs, Loretta made sure that their service was still held.⁷ This anecdote reflects the person Loretta Jolly always was and never stopped being: one constantly thinking of others.

On November 4, 2017, she passed away as a well-known community figure and a loved mother. She was 97.⁸ She was survived not only by her 3 children and 2 grandchildren but also by the legacy of generosity and kindness that she has left on the community in Salisbury.