Jewel Plummer Cobb is a cell biologist, and educator. Jewel was born in Chicago,Illinois Into an upper-middle class family. Jewel is the daughter of Frank V. Plummer and Clarabelle Plummer. Her father was a physician, he graduated from Cornell University, and was also the founder of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Her grandfather was a freed slave-Pharmacist, he graduated from Howard University in 1898. Jewel Plummer had to deal with Racism growing up in Chicago. Jewel was the only child in her family. In 1954 Jewel married Ray Raul Cobb, he was an insurance salesman. In 1957,Jewel Plummer Cobb and her husband had a son, they named him Ray Johnathan Cobb.

From an early age Jewel's family made her aware of the concerns and accomplishments of black people nationwide. She was exposed to a variety of African-American professionals. She was able to read her fathers home library. It contained a...