Anthony Kapel 'Van' Jones, born on September 20, 1968, in Jackson, Tennessee, to parents Loretta Jean Kirkendoll and Willie Anthony Jones, is a CNN host, lawyer, Emmy Award-winning producer, three-time New York Times bestselling author, motivational speaker, environmentalist, and human rights defender. He earned a Bachelor of Science in communication and political science from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1990 and a law degree from Yale Law School in 1993. Jones emerged as a key figure in activism during the 1990s, co-founding organizations such as the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, ColorOfChange.org, GreenForAll.org, Rebuild The Dream, and the Dream Corps, with a focus on human rights, civil rights, environmental justice, and criminal justice reform over more than 25 years. His notable books include 'The Green Collar Economy' (2008), 'Rebuild the Dream' (2012), and 'Beyond the Messy Truth.' He briefly served as Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation in the Obama White House in 2009 but resigned following controversy over past affiliations and statements.