Van Jones makes a major move to improve education, the environment and social justice — signs with Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
This week, the New York-based management firm announced that CNN commentator and former Barack Obama advisor Van Jones had signed a major deal with the Roc — extending its reach well beyond entertainers and athletes.
“Roc Nation stands for excellence, innovation and impact, and I am proud to join the family. To make positive change in today’s world, we must close the gaps that exist between artists and activists … cultural leaders and political leaders … taste-makers and change-makers,” said Jones in a press release. “This partnership opens up the opportunity to do that on a global scale. It’s a bold, unprecedented move. And I’m both humbled and excited by the possibilities.”
Jay Z added, “Van’s immense capacity for empathy builds bridges. He inspires dialogue and only through conversation and active listening, can true change occur. Roc Nation is honored to support and amplify every initiative.”
In addition to penning the New York Times bestsellers The Green Collar Economy and Rebuild the Dream, the Yale-educated attorney recently launched “The Messy Truth” series on CNN. He’s also set to release his third book, Beyond The Messy Truth: How We Came Apart & How We Come Together, in October.
Previously reported, Jones recently took heat for praising President Donald Trump’s salute to the widow of a Navy SEAL in a speech before Congress earlier this year. “It showed some of the insecurities and anxieties of the liberals who were convinced that if even one pundit said one kind thing about Trump than we’d have Hitler, that everything was at stake, and any kind of nuance was just the road to fascism in America,” Jones told The Washington Post, following the backlash. “When you’re in that kind of mind state, then you jump at a lot of shadows.”
As for his new affiliation with Roc Nation, his hope is to give more attention to work that isn’t talked about enough on the small screen. Jones, a vessel for social change, works on countless initiatives surrounding the youth — helping those from underrepresented backgrounds find work in the tech field, as well as places San Quentin inmates in training for media work and fighting water pollution.
“The Messy Truth with Van Jones” airs on CNN on Tuesday nights, at 9 PM/ET.
