CNN Television Host and Political Contributor to Speak at Lane College Commencement
CNN Television Host and Political Contributor to Speak at Lane College Commencement
(April 3, 2018 – Jackson, TN) Lane College President Logan Hampton today announced that Van Jones, political contributor and host of CNN’s #1-rated television program, The Van Jones Show, will be the guest speaker at the college’s Spring Commencement Convocation, to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at Oman Arena. One Hundred and Fifty excited young scholars will be awarded baccalaureate degrees in the Arts and Sciences.
Jones is a native son of Jackson. He is a graduate of Jackson Central-Merry High School and is the son of Mrs. Loretta Jones and the late Willie Jones. He is the grandson of former Lane College President, the late Bishop Chester Arthur Kirkendoll, and Mrs. Alice Kirkendoll.
In addition to his duties at CNN, Jones is a social entrepreneur, environmentalist, and author who earned acclaim for his commentary during the 2016 election season, which managed to be impassioned, personal and fair. He has founded and led numerous social enterprises engaged in social and environmental justice. These include:
- The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which promotes criminal justice reform;
- Color of Change, which works for racial fairness through its over one million members;
- Rebuild the Dream, a 21st-Century "think tank" that champions innovative solutions to fix the U.S. economy and uplift future generations;
- The Dream Corps, an organization that brings people together to solve America's toughest problems and promotes innovative policy solutions;
- Green for All, which advances environmental solutions that prioritize families and workers living on the frontlines of some of the worst pollution in America; and,
- Magic Labs Media, founded by Jones and where he currently serves as its President.
Jones is a Yale-educated attorney and the author of three New York Times best-selling books, The Green Collar Economy (2008),Rebuild the Dream (2012), and Beyond the Messy Truth (2017). His third book is a passionate manifesto that exposes hypocrisy on both sides of the political divide and points a way out of the tribalism that is tearing America apart. He was the main advocate for theGreen Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. It was the first piece of federal legislation to codify the term “green jobs.” During the Obama Administration, the legislation resulted in $500 million in national funding for green jobs training.
In 2009, Jones worked as the green jobs advisor to President Barack Obama. In this role, he helped to lead the inter-agency process that oversaw the multi-billion-dollar investment in skills-training and jobs-development within the environmental and green energy sectors.
Jones has been honored with numerous awards and spotlighted on several lists of high achievers, including: the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader designation; Rolling Stone’s 2012 12 Leaders Who Get Things Done; TIME’s 2009 100 Most Influential People in The World; and the Root's 2014 The Root 100.
Jones lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife & two children.
The public is invited to attend the commencement convocation and is asked to be seated no later than 9:30 a.m.
