
Photo: White House Channel on YouTube / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on September 20, 1968 in Jackson, Tennessee, United States, Van Jones is a motivational speaker, human rights defender and lawyer. Van Jones is 57 years old as of 2026. Education on record includes Jackson Central-Merry High School and University of Tennessee at Martin. Recorded honors include Reebok Human Rights Award (1998). Notable works include The Green Collar Economy.
My Take
What draws me to Van Jones is his refusal to treat justice as a single-issue fight. A Tennessee-born lawyer who tied environmental policy to economic opportunity for the marginalized, he was already a Reebok Human Rights Award winner before thirty. I respect that he built credibility on the ground first and only later became a familiar television voice. Plenty of pundits perform conviction; far fewer keep talking to people who disagree with them. That stubborn commitment to dialogue, even when it costs him allies, is what makes him worth watching in an era that rewards shouting over bridge-building. I find his persistence quietly admirable.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Van Jones
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴァン・ジョーンズ
- Reading
- ゔぁん・じょーんず
- Born
- September 20, 1968 (age 57)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Monkey
- Origin
- Jackson, Tennessee, United States
- Occupation
- motivational speaker / human rights defender / lawyer / environmentalist / civil rights advocate
2. Background
- High school
- Jackson Central-Merry High School
- University
- University of Tennessee at Martin
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Reebok Human Rights Award
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Green Collar Economy | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://vanjones.net/
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/vanjones68/
- Xhttps://x.com/VanJones68
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van%20Jones
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3742492
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Van Jones born?
Born September 20, 1968 (age 57).
Where is Van Jones from?
Van Jones is from Jackson, Tennessee, United States.
What does Van Jones do?
Van Jones works as motivational speaker, human rights defender, lawyer, environmentalist, civil rights advocate.
What is Van Jones known for?
Notable works include The Green Collar Economy.
Motivational speaker — see all → · Human rights defender — see all → · More people from the United States →