Who are Jurnee Smollett’s parents? All about the child actor’s family

The actress Jurnee Smollett, who is best known for her early roles in Full House and Eve’s Bayou and her more recent performance as Black Canary in Birds of Prey, hails from a family deeply involved in both the entertainment industry and activism.

Jurnee, who was born in New York, is one of six siblings, most of whom have pursued careers in television and activism due to their parents' influence.

The parents of Jurnee Smollett, Joel Smollett Sr. and Janet Smollett, had an unusual background. Joel is of Russian-Polish Jewish descent, while Janet is African American and originally from New Orleans.

Joel grew up in a liberal household and participated in the March on Washington. According to Entertainment Now, Janet Smollett was a social activist with people like Bobby Seale and Huey Newton of the Black Panther Party.

Jurnee recently spoke about how her mother instilled a strong sense of justice in her and her siblings from an early age.

Jurnee Smollett has publicly identified herself as “Blewish,” a word she created to reflect her combined Black and Jewish heritage. She was supposedly raised celebrating both Jewish and Black cultural traditions, celebrating holidays including Passover, Hanukkah, Easter, Christmas, and Kwanzaa (Hey Alma).

A look into Jurnee Smollett’s talented siblings

Jurnee Smollett is one of six siblings in the Smollett family. Her siblings have spread out across various creative and professional practices.

Their bond was forged early, especially during their time working together on the 1994 ABC sitcom On Our Own, which starred all six siblings playing fictional versions of themselves.

Jussie Smollett, born the third of the Smollett siblings, is an actor and singer known for his role on the hit Fox series Empire, where he portrayed Jamal Lyon. Jussie had made headlines for not just his acting but for his activism around LGBTQ+ issues. He publicly announced that he was gay in 2015.

Jurnee’s younger brother, Jake Smollett, is an acclaimed chef and a former actor. Although Jake was a staple on television screens during the 1990s and early 2000s, he has since turned his attention to the world of cooking (The New York Times). He’s made appearances on The Rachael Ray Show and more.

The oldest sibling, JoJo Smollett, is employed by a nonprofit organization, while Jazz Smollett is another sibling who made a name for herself in the entertainment world. She is known to be involved in production. On the other hand, the youngest brother, Jocqui Smollett, is in the tech industry.