“I came up in Chicago during the [Great] Depression era,” Jones told the audience at Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. “We went through it all. A guy ran a switchblade through my hand when I was 7 and gangs surrounded the neighborhood. Back then, the Jones Brothers were the most notorious black gang in Chicago. Growing up there, all we ever saw was machine guns and dead bodies.”
Jones’ family eventually moved to Seattle where his musical talents earned him a scholarship to Schillinger House in Boston. He later toured with several jazz bands and went on to establish an awe-inspiring career in entertainment.
Jones encouraged the audience to persevere despite tribulations. “There is a book called Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart. The book says, ‘The statute of limitations expires on all childhood traumas. We have to get over it, fix our lives and move on.’ ”
Jones also believes that it will take a team effort to provide optimism to kids. “It’s all about love, laughing and feeling good about ourselves. The collective should always be a large part of how we teach kids. These kids are not broken, they need love inspiration and support from us.”
–a.r.
