On September 20, former Pacer executive editor—now a U.S. media personality—learned that his newest project won a Creative Arts Emmy award.
Van Jones graduated from UTM in 1990 with bachelor’s degrees in both communications and political science; He went on to attend Yale Law School where he earned his Law degree in 1993.
This year’s Emmy awards, which were hosted on Jones’ birthday, were a gift in disguise. His virtual reality series, “The Messy Truth VR Experience,” won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Interactive Program, a new category for the Creative Arts Emmys.
Jones worked with director Elijah Allan-Blitz and director and actress Brie Larson to create the first ever VR series. The series currently has two episodes, with three more episodes already planned out. In the first episode, the viewer watches the situation unfold from the eyes of a young Black boy who is riding in the car with his father when they are pulled over and harassed by the police. In the second episode, the viewer experiences—from the perspective of a waitress—a diner manager abuse his authority in the form of sexual harassment. The series stars actors who play Marvel super heroes such as Winston Duke and Brie Larson.
“We used first ever hand-tracking technology that puts the viewer in the body of the person they might initially felt like they had nothing in common with,” said Jones in a preview clip that explains their goals for the reality series.
In a video interview after finding out about their win, Jones said, “We were just happy the Emmy folks recognized it. This is a little engine that could, David and Goliath project, man. It wasn’t like we had Disney or some big company backing us. We just basically did it ourselves.”
Jones’s work ethic and drive are what helped him establish a name for himself, and he is very proud to credit UTM and the communications department for being such a large part of his success. He still continues to appreciate his mentor Dr. Jerald Ogg, professor of communications, and their relationship.
His relationship with Ogg is what inspired Jones to pursue his career as a lawyer. While practicing, he realized that his communications background enhanced his skills.
“I realized my real superpower was my communication skills I had honed right here at UT Martin. It was not my legal skills I had learned at Yale law school. It was actually my communication skills I learned at UTM, and so if I mess up through my career, I return to my UTM education,” said Jones.
Jones made a reputation for himself at UTM for his willingness to ask questions and push boundaries.
His favorite piece he wrote for The Pacer covered the change from the university’s [then] current food provider to Marriott Food Services. Jones and the student body were concerned that the new company would not be the best option for them, that they may cut corners that would sacrifice quality for cost effectiveness, so he pushed administration to ensure the change to a new food service would be done with the student body’s best interest in mind.
His second favorite piece was quite controversial, considering the times. This was in the 1980s, when there was a lack of knowledge and prevention about AIDS. Students wanted to have condom machines installed in the basements of dormitories to combat the spread of AIDS around campus.
“That was considered a complete scandal, but we thought it was pretty funny, and serious, at the same time. I don’t know why we thought it was so important, but we sure fought for it. We lost, of course. Food and I guess the primal needs for food and romance were high on our to do list,” said Jones jokingly.
Before becoming the activist and U.S. media personality he is now, Jones wanted to be an Editor of a newspaper like the Tennessean or work for the Associated Press as Bureau Chief. However, the communication skills he learned at UTM are what got CNN’s attention. They saw him promoting his second book, Rebuild The Dream, on TV, and liked the way he communicated. Despite not having a background in broadcasting, CNN placed Jones at the head of the line and gave him a job.
Of all his accomplishments, from hosting TV shows, writing books, working under Barack Obama during his presidency, and winning various awards for his leadership and drive, to winning an Emmy, Jones’s proudest accomplishment, second to raising his two sons, is “The Redemption Project.”
Jones met with people in prisons who wanted to make amends for the bad things they had done, and then met with the person they had wronged or, in more severe cases, the person’s loved ones. He put them in a room together, and he just let them talk.
UTM may be a smaller university than others, but Jones believes that it can get you anywhere you need to go.
“UT Martin was a very strong springboard for me, and I hit it hard….Yes, you can get anywhere you want to from UTM because of the quality of the instruction. Those professors, at least when I was there, they cared about the students…I rely on stuff every day of my life that Professor Ogg taught me, every day in my life. And I am so very proud to be from UTM,” said Jones.
