If you’ve ever attended a cultural event in Bloomington-Normal, there’s a good chance that Tony Jones had something to do with it.
Jones has been a key organizer for several community events such as Cultural Fest, the annual Juneteenth Celebration, and Bloomington-Normal’s Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Banquet. For that work and his other extensive community service, Jones will be honored Nov. 9 as one of the 2023 Philanthropists of the Year by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.
Jones said representation is important to him, as is making sure history doesn’t get lost to time.
“The importance of it for me is to showcase, not just African American culture or contributions or celebrations, but on a diverse level, just to ensure that there’s awareness of all of the different pockets and individuals and cultures in the community. To make sure they don’t get lost, as well as to promote awareness of them,” Jones said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
Jones grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and studied computer programming in college. He initially thought Bloomington-Normal was a suburb of Chicago before moving here to take a job at State Farm. He thought he’d be here a couple of years. He ended up retiring from State Farm — after 36 years.
"It’s intriguing and educational and interesting to me. That’s one of the things that keeps me engaged with the activity itself, because I’m always learning something."Tony Jones
His first real foray into event planning came when he joined the board at Cultural Fest, which started in 1979. That first year, he just ate corn dogs and observed.
For the past 20 years, he’s been leading the annual Cultural Fest, typically held at Miller Park in Bloomington. At its peak, this event attracted more than 12,000 people and provided a venue for the entire community to showcase a variety of cultures, entertainment, and community resources.
Jones likes the event partly because he’s a curious guy. He likes to read biographies, because he enjoys the stories of individual people. He’s seen the definition of diversity evolve and expand in Bloomington-Normal, from African-American culture to other communities, like South Asian Indians.
Cultural Fest has exposed him to cultures other than his own. He learned, for example, about the meaning of Hawaiian dance.
“When they’re doing that, that’s actually a method they’re using to tell a story. So, in essence, it’s a way of recording their history and communicating that history through dance,” Jones said.
He’s learned a lot through the lens of entertainment – from country music to opera.
“It’s intriguing and educational and interesting to me,” Jones said. “That’s one of the things that keeps me engaged with the activity itself, because I’m always learning something.”
Helping the next generation
He likes getting calls or messages from younger people, asking for advice or guidance on how to start their own event or tradition.
Jones also helps the next generation through the Mentoring and Providing Scholarships (MAPS) program, which he co-founded.
Jones said MAPS was the brainchild of a State Farm executive, Craig Gilmore, aimed at fostering collaboration between African-American organizations, especially fraternities and sororities. Instead of creating, say, a single scholarship, they conceived a deeper series of workshops and mentoring that helps young people prepare for the independence and challenges that come with college.
“We’re trying to equip them with the tools so that they’re not caught off-guard when they’re in college, so that they will be successful. Just kind of give them habits before they even get there,” Jones said.
This year, MAPS awarded $82,000 in scholarships to African American students, partnering with over 15 African American sororities, fraternities, and other community organizations.
Jones isn’t done. While he’s retired from State Farm, Jones works as grants coordinator for the McLean County Health Department. He previously managed Heartland Community College’s Workforce Equity Initiative. His next event is the 20th anniversary and awards luncheon Nov. 18 for the Central Illinois chapter of the 100 Black Men.
Jones said he sees a lot of potential in Bloomington. Big cities like Chicago and St. Louis already have a lot of culturally centered entertainment, he said, while Bloomington still has room for experimentation and new frontiers.
“It doesn’t have as much activity as those larger cities,” he said. “So there’s opportunity for different types of entertainment to be introduced to the city, because there’s a lot of things we don’t have.”
Jones will be honored Nov. 9 as one of four Philanthropists of the Year, alongside Bloomington residents Alan and Kathie Chapman and Marlon Eilts of Pontiac. He said it's an “honor and a privilege to receive such recognition,” and that it’s an opportunity to thank his wife, Sonia, for being the “lady behind the curtain” who makes all of his community service possible.
