The fourth of six performing siblings, she received critical acclaim for her title role in the independent film Eve's Bayou in 1997 and earned her a Young Star Award nomination.
Jurnee Smollett has four brothers and one sister, all of whom have professionally acted before:
- Jazz Smollett
- Jocqui Smollett
- Jake Smollett
- Jojo Smollett
- Jussie Smollett
She has been active in HIV/AIDS involved causes since she was twelve. She has spoken at the Ryan White Youth Conference, and elsewhere, such as in local Junior High, and High schools on this issue. Her first encounter with the disease came at age seven when a crew member of On Our Own died of AIDS. She is also on the Board of Directors of "Artists for a New South Africa" a group dedicated to dealing with the HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Her efforts have taken her to South Africa, in 2006 on a delegation with Artists for a New South Africa.