Van Jones
Van Jones is the President and co-founder of Rebuild the Dream, a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. A Yale-educated attorney, Van has written two New York Times Best Sellers: The Green Collar Economy and Rebuild the Dream. Van worked as the green jobs advisor to the Obama White House and helped run the inter-agency process that oversaw $80 billion in green energy recovery spending.
Presentations from Facing Race 2016
Where Do We Go From Here?
We are gathering just two days after the most contentious election season in decades. Both major parties showed their deep splinters, Trumpism became the new normal and all the politicians were forced to deal with issues that communities of color raised to national prominence. In this closing plenary, leaders will speak to the challenges of governance before us, and how the racial justice movement can position ourselves to make the most of the next four years.
Speakers: Marisa Franco, Glenn Harris, Pramila Jayapal, Van Jones, Rinku Sen, Kara Denise Brewer Boyd, Linda SarsourHow to Use your TV: Using Small Screens to Move Racial Justice
Calling all TV addicts — this is the workshop for you. Today’s television industry has more room for the stories of racial justice than ever before. This double panel presentation will focus on strategies for making the small screen work for racial justice by engaging writers’ rooms, taking advantage of reality TV opportunities, by hosting watch parties or generating social media commentary on TV content that applies to communities. We will include a special focus on the Netflix documentary “13th,” featuring activists from the documentary and a Skype appearance by its director, Ava DuVernay.
Speakers: Van Jones, Malkia Cyril, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Brandon Andrews, Tracy Van Slyke, Sharda SekaranPresentations from Facing Race 2014
The Next Fifty
This year and next we will celebrate the anniversaries of major racial justice victories like the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. In this plenary, big thinkers will reflect on trends and strategies for the next half century. Get your long term on with Ian Haney Lopez, Van Jones, and Rinku Sen.
Speakers: Ian Haney Lopez, Van Jones, Rinku SenThe Pipeline from School to Economic Opportunity
Pathways to prosperity in our new economy our built on a foundation of educational opportunity. The session focuses on challenges and advocacy efforts to assure access to educational opportunity for communities of color. The panel will discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, Law and Medicine to support a diverse future workforce. The session will also address the implications of persistent legal attacks on diversity in higher education. The session will focus specifically on underrepresentation of people of color and strategies being engaged to support pathways to educational and economic opportunity.
Speakers: Sharon Davies, Marc A. Nivet, Van Jones