Van Jones is Founder and National Executive Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Oakland, CA.

1. LAWCROSSING
THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LAW STAR www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
Van Jones; Founder and National Executive Director,
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; Oakland, CA
[by Charisse Dengler]
Founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC), Van Jones is intensely passionate about exposing human
rights violations and being an instrument of “justice, opportunity, and peace in the streets.”
Having grown up in the rural South, with me. I thought it was unfair. So, that began “We were and are still one of California’s
schoolteacher parents who spoke out boldly to inform what I wanted to do with my law only state-bar-certified, police-misconduct-
on the subject of desegregation, Jones was degree.” lawyer referrals,” Jones said.
destined to be a leader in the fight for justice
and equality. Upon graduation, Jones took a job at the Other programs the EBC has implemented
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San include Books Not Bars and Reclaim the
“I grew up in a very pro-civil rights Francisco, and it was there that he met Eva Future. Books Not Bars is a program
household, and that really affected my Paterson, the civil rights attorney and mentor dedicated to getting California’s youth
worldview,” he said. who would help him accomplish his dream of out from behind bars and into positive
founding the EBC. rehabilitation centers, and Jones is proud of
Jones first began to consider becoming a the progress the program has made so far.
“Based on the things I saw working as a
lawyer while working at a newspaper in
young civil rights attorney, I decided to “As a result of our efforts and the efforts
Shreveport, LA.
create a human rights center that would of others, there’s been about a one-third
be really focused on some of these abuses reduction in the number of kids who are
“I felt that there was a lot of racism
and wouldn’t stop at calling them civil locked up in the state system, and that’s
discrimination in the community that
rights abuses or miscarriages of justice, something we’re pretty proud of,” he said.
the newspaper was actually adding to
but would say that these are human rights “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re seeing
and fanning the flames of, as opposed to
abuses,” he said. “Same way that if we saw real progress.”
correcting, and I felt implicated because I
any other country that was putting its poor
was working there,” he said. “I just disagreed
people and its minority population in prison Reclaim the Future is a program designed
with a lot of things—a lot of the slants and
in disproportionate numbers to its majority to help people with barriers to employment,
angles and the way different neighborhoods
population, we’d call those human rights such as those with criminal records, find
and communities were being portrayed—and
abuses. I wanted to say the same thing was quality jobs. The EBC also helped start
so I decided that I wanted to make the news
happening inside U.S. borders.” Freedom Fighter Music, a music label
and not write it and went to law school.”
featuring artists whose work expresses the
Three years later, Jones turned his dream EBC’s beliefs.
While in law school, Jones once again
into reality.
became aware of discrimination in the
“We think that they [Freedom Fighter
community around him, and this time, it led
“I started the Ella Baker Center for Human Music artists] are adding an important
to the decision to focus his legal career on
Rights in 1996, so it’ll be 10 years old in perspective—an important voice—especially
battling human rights abuses.
September,” he said. “Our initial mission was in the world of hip-hop music, where socially
to document, challenge, and expose human relevant music isn’t as popular or common
“I noticed that students at Yale University
rights violations, especially by U.S. law as it was in the late ‘80s,” Jones said.
used drugs fairly freely—breaking the law
enforcement.”
pretty much every weekend—and never got When asked why he believes young people
arrested or put in prison for that criminal The EBC’s first program, Bay Area have responded so well to the EBC’s
behavior,” he said, “but, literally four blocks PoliceWatch, was created in 1995 to “police programs, Jones said it’s because the
away, kids doing that in the housing projects the police.” The program works to expose organization allows the youth of today to
were labeled drug dealers and drug abusers police misconduct and campaigns on behalf speak out in their own voices and do things
and sent off to prison. That really shocked of victims’ families to bring about justice. their way.
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2. LAWCROSSING
THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LAW STAR www.lawcrossing.com 1. 800.973.1177
“We don’t try to dress them up or water For law students interested in effecting some an avalanche in the direction that you think
them down,” he said. “We think that people major change in their society, Jones advises things should go. That’s the worst thing.”
really need to hear from young people in finding a mentor who has been in their field Over the past decade, Jones has worked
urban America—raw and uncensored—in all of interest for a while and who can make relentlessly to create an organization
their hope and all their pain so we can start recommendations and give advice. He also dedicated to justice, opportunity, and peace;
making wiser choices about how to lift those vigorously encourages students to go with and now that the EBC is established and
young people up.” their instincts and fight for what they believe flourishing, he has no intention of slowing
in. down.
Since he founded the EBC, Jones has been
brazenly educating the world on human “If you feel called to start something, “I think the Ella Baker Center is on the path
rights abuses and opening people’s eyes chances are if it’s worth doing at all, most to becoming a world-class strategy and
to the injustices taking place in their own people will tell you don’t do it,” he said. “So, action center for justice and opportunity…and
communities. listen to your own heart. Get a patron or we’re going to continue on that road,” he
somebody—get a couple—and then, don’t be said. “And as for me, I’m going to keep trying
“I get a chance to talk to elected officials. afraid to fail.” to find ways to make this country more just
I get a chance to talk to philanthropists, and to make the struggling in marginal
students, [and] community leaders that “The worst thing in the world is not being communities more healthy and prosperous.”
are maybe not focused on this part of the passionate about something and trying to
problem,” he said. “It always feels good when start a project and it failing,” he said. “That’s
you’re able to see the light bulbs go off in not the worst thing at all. The worst thing is
people’s heads and you realize that you are to be passionate about something and take
helping to shape people’s understanding of no action and always wonder whether you
the world and what in fact is going on.” could’ve thrown a rock that would’ve caused
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