While on vacation with her girlfriends, Grammy Award winning singer, actress, and poet, Jill Scott, revealed to her friends that she wanted to create a non-profit organization. The name she chose was the Blues Babe Foundation, “‘Blues Babe’ is the affectionate nickname given to Jill’s grandmother because of the bluish tint in her brown complexion.” For years the Blues Babe Foundation has been helping local Philadelphia youth achieve by providing scholarships, music in the classroom, and opportunities for hundreds of students to attend Camp Jill Scott at no cost.

On December 4, 2010, the foundation had its Second Fundraiser & Silent Auction, which was “an evening of purpose, passion, and networking inspired by the potential of determined young minds.” The fundraiser’s purpose was to help fund Blues Babes’ goals in 2011, one of which is to provide music in the classroom to over 1,000 students in Philadelphia. The event was an upscale affair featuring some of Philadelphia’s most premier entrepreneurs, artists, media personalities, and politicians. The ambiance of the venue was magnificent. The event was held at Material Culture, a 90000 square foot showroom, offering antiques, art, and artifacts from various parts of the world. Guests of the event were treated to an intimate performance from Jill Scott. The soul singer performed 5 unreleased tracks that may appear on her new studio album.

At the event, Jill Scott also launched her new clothing line “Indigo”, which features the works of three Philadelphia artists, Rah Crawford, Stacey Wilson, and E Bond. The collection features four t-shirt designs and handmade journals. All proceeds from Indigo sales will support youth and the programming of the Blues Babe Foundation.

Jill Scott will be releasing her new studio album in 2011, titled “The Light of the Sun”. Jill currently has no tour dates as of yet, and there is no release date set for her new album, thus giving you all the reasons to support her efforts with The Blues Babe Foundation. The Foundation most notably gave a generous $100,000 donation to renovate the Cecil B. Moore recreation center in Philadelphia, PA. Before receiving the large donation, the recreation center was on the City of Philadelphia’s list of centers to be closed due to a lack of resources. For more information on the Blues Babe Foundation, you can visit www.bluesbabefoundation.org

Video interviews by Trenae V. McDuffie
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