Joel Smollett Sr., Father of Six Entertainment Siblings, Remembered for Civil Rights Activism and Family Values
Joel Smollett Sr., father to six children who later became involved in American entertainment, including actors Jussie and Jurnee Smollett, is remembered for his life outside of Hollywood. He worked as a cable splicer for ITT in New York and later PacBell. Joel Smollett Sr. was of Russian-Polish Jewish heritage and met his wife, Janet Smollett, in California's Bay Area while both were involved in civil rights causes. Together, they raised their children, Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui, instilling in them values of creativity, activism, cultural awareness, and family loyalty. All six Smollett siblings appeared together on the ABC sitcom 'On Our Own' in 1994. Joel Smollett Sr. passed away on January 7, 2015, at the age of 58, after battling cancer. His death notably coincided with the premiere of the television drama 'Empire,' in which his son Jussie Smollett starred. 
