Jill Wakeman has devoted her life to the pursuit of justice, dignity, and equal rights for all. Born in Coldwater, Michigan to William Hall Wakeman and Ruth Kitchel Wakeman, Jill comes from a long line of community-minded leaders and activists. Her great-grandfathers fought for the North in the Civil War, her maternal great-grandmother published a newspaper championing women’s suffrage, and her mother was Michigan’s first female pilot and a wartime USO leader.

Jill’s own path to activism began in the early 1960s, when she joined the Civil Rights Movement out of a deep sense of moral urgency. In 1966, she traveled to Mississippi to support the Delta Ministry Project and participate in the James Meredith "Walk Against Fear." There, she worked with local leaders to register Black voters, support desegregation, and stand in solidarity with communities facing violence and repression.

Jill’s activism has always been personal. In her 1966 journal, “Journey to Mississippi,” she wrote:

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“One deeply desires the satisfaction of feeling he is doing something to change the situation.”
“You live in its very presence and are part of it. This is understanding changed into reality.”

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This experience lit a spark that led to nearly 60 years of passionate dedication to community causes through organizations including the Samaritan House in San Mateo, CALL Primrose Center, the Interfaith Housing Network (IHN) in Burlingame, Circle of Concern, and the Conference of Religion, Race and Social Concern for San Mateo County. Jill was also involved in the integration of the City of San Mateo School District, the Fair Housing Council of the Mid-Peninsula, and, in more recent years, LGBTQ+ rights.