As the family of Nolan Wells desperately searches for answers following his mysterious death after a July Fourth trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island, one of the nation’s oldest Black family organizations is urging parents to turn their collective grief into action.
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, shared a statement on Thursday (July 9) honoring the life of the 18-year-old college football player while encouraging families to have difficult conversations about friendship and safety.
The statement titled “Our Sons Deserve to Grow Old: In loving memory of Nolan Xavier Wells” was shared across the organization’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
“He was loved, gifted, and full of promise,” the organization wrote.
Related: New Developments in the Nolan Wells Case As Ben Crump Drops Concerns
“His passing calls us to reflect on the sacred responsibility we share to protect our children, strengthen their instincts, and build circles of care rooted in dignity, accountability, and mutual concern.”
The statement taps into a fear shared by many parents while delivering a direct call to action.
“As Jack and Jill mothers, we carry a sacred charge to nurture, prepare, and protect our children,” the organization wrote. “That begins in honest conversations, in knowing who our children are with, how they are moving, and whether the people around them are truly committed to their safety.”
“Our sons deserve to grow old,” the statement continued. “Every Black child deserves to come home. No child should ever be treated as disposable.”
The message concluded with practical reminders for families to talk with their children, know their friends, create safety plans, and reinforce the old-school rule that “If we go together, we leave together.”
Jack and Jill is a non-profit organization with more than 50,000 families across the nation. Founded by the late Marion Stubbs Thoman in 1938, the organization has maintained a commitment to helping African American children ages 2 to 19 thrive through educational, cultural, and social enrichment activities.
The organization’s statement comes as public concern surrounding Wells’ death continues to grow.
As The Root previously reported, Wells disappeared during a boating trip with friends to Horn Island on July 4. The friends returned to the mainland without him, prompting his mother, Christine Wonsley, to report him missing. Wells’ body was recovered two days later, on July 6. His family has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his death and has retained civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has called for a full and transparent investigation.
