Van Jones is an Emmy Award-winning news analyst, writer, and lawyer from the United States of America who works as a CNN political pundit, routinely appearing across the network’s programs and special political coverage.
In 2009, Van Jones was President Barack Obama’s Special Advisor on Green Jobs and a distinguished visiting fellow at Princeton University. Several non-profit organizations, including the Ella Baker Centre for Human Rights, Colour of Change, and the Dream Corps, were created or co-founded by him. The Dream Corps is a social justice accelerator with three advocacy programs: Dream Corps Justice, Dream Corps Tech, and Green for All.
To learn more about Van Jones, read the story below.
Who is Van Jones?
Van Jones and his twin sister Angela were born on September 20, 1968, in Jackson, Tennessee, to high school teacher Loretta Jean (Kirkendoll) and middle school principal Willie Anthony Jones. As a child, his sister described him as “the stereotypical geek—he just kind of lived up in his head a lot.” Jones has stated that as a child, he was “bookish and bizarre.” Jones attended his grandfather to religious conferences since he was a leader in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. He would spend the entire day listening to adults “in these hot, sweaty black churches.”
Jones was born after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy, and as he learned more about the men’s work, he grew to admire them as heroic characters. He tacked photos of the Kennedy brothers to a bulletin board in his room, which was designated as the “Kennedy Section.”
Jones attended Jackson Central-Merry High School, a public high school in his city, and graduated in 1986. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin) with a Bachelor of Science in communication and political science. Jones also interned at The Jackson Sun (Tennessee), the Shreveport Times (Louisiana), and the Associated Press (Nashville bureau) during this time. He got the moniker “Van” when he was 17 years old.
What is Van Jones’s age, height, and weight?
Jones was born on September 20, 1968 (age 54). Also, looking at Van’s body, his height is 185 centimeters or 6 feet 1 inch. His body weight is 87 kg or 193 lbs.
What is Van Jones’s net worth?
As of May 2023, Van Jones’ net worth is estimated to be roughly $5 Million.
What is Van Jones’s Nationality and Ethnicity?
Van was born and raised in the United States of America, and he has stayed there almost his entire life as he is living there now. He holds an American nationality and is of mixed ethnicity.
What is Van Jones’s profession?
Jones was a member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, which had brought him to the city in 1992 as a legal observer. Jones launched Bay Area PoliceWatch, the region’s only bar-certified hotline and legal referral program for victims of police abuse, in 1995. The hotline began to receive fifteen calls every day.
Jones established a new umbrella NGO, the Ella Baker Centre for Human Rights, in 1996. He utilized his personal computer and worked out of “a closet-like office” in the space of Eva Paterson, Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee.
Jones and PoliceWatch spearheaded a campaign to have Officer Marc Andaya fired from the San Francisco Police Department in 1996-1997.
Andaya was accused of using excessive force in the death in custody of Aaron Williams, an unarmed black man who struggled with three officers on the street in 1995. There was community indignation over his death, and there was pressure on the department to bring Andaya, who witnesses observed kick Williams in the skull, to justice. The press claimed a year after the occurrence that Andaya had a history of wrongdoing in the 1980s. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Andaya was identified in 10 complaints between 1983 and 1993, eight of which reportedly involved the use of physical force while working for the Oakland Police Department.
More brutality allegations in Oakland were discovered, as well as two lawsuits filed against him; in June 1997, the San Francisco Police Commission voted to terminate Andaya for misrepresenting his application to the department. Jones led a campaign in 1999 and 2000 to defeat Proposition 21, which would have increased “penalties for a variety of violent crimes and required more juvenile offenders to be tried as adults.” He sought to organize a student protest movement against the idea, which garnered national attention, although it ultimately failed. To achieve his goals, he began to push for greater solidarity and the formation of broader alliances across parties and classes.
The measure was approved by voters as part of a nationwide trend of states strengthening criminal penalties. This has resulted in rising incarceration rates in the United States, particularly among minorities. Jones and the Ella Baker Centre started the “Books Not Bars” initiative in 2001. He led an attempt to prevent the development of a proposed “Super-Jail for Youth” in Oakland’s Alameda County from 2001 to 2003. Later, Books Not Bars launched a statewide effort to overhaul California’s juvenile justice system.
Jones worked as Arianna Huffington’s statewide grassroots director during the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election.
Why does Van Jones wear purple?
He revealed, “I also try to wear a purple tie as often as I can, as a tribute to my friend Prince, who, in addition to being a rock star, did a lot of good work creating opportunities for people.”
What is Van Jones known for?
Jones is well-known in the United States as a news and political pundit, author, and lawyer. He is a three-time New York Times best-selling book, CNN anchor and contributor, and Emmy Award winner.
Who is Van Jones married to?
Jones is presently unattached. He and Jana Carter got married in 2005. They were married for 13 years before splitting up.
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