Google Header -->
Skip to main content
Curly Nikki

Here’s Why You Should Be Watching The Van Jones Show

Here's Why You Should Be Watching The Van Jones Show
Van Jones
By Mwabi Kaira

We first saw Van Jones as a co-host on the short lived CNN’s Crossfire in 2013 but he had been behind the scenes working tirelessly for years before that. He is a co-founder of several nonprofit organizations, including the Dream Corps, a “social justice accelerator that operates three advocacy initiatives: #cut50, #Yeswecode and Green for All. He is the author of 3 New York Times bestsellers; The Green Collar Economy, Rebuild the Dream and Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together. He served as President Barack Obama’s Special Advisor for Green Jobs and is a distinguished visiting fellow at Princeton University. He is currently a regular CNN contributor and the host of The Van Jones Show. Are you watching the show? Here’s why you should:



This is Sesame Street for grown people

When Van was on The Ellen Show recently he explained The Van Jones Show as the Sesame Street Show for grown people. He said, “This is the show where we try to have meaningful conversations without the mean part like most shows on cable television. The show gives people a way to see, learn and find hope and inspiration in the exact same way that children’s television does.”

Van is not afraid to ask the tough questions and get to the heart of the matter

The very first interview of The Van Jones Show was with Jay-Z and it made news and even got the commander in chief in a tissy when he tweeted about it. While discussing the dropping unemployment rates among African-Americans Jay-Z said, “It’s not about money at the end of the day. Money doesn’t equate to happiness, that’s missing the whole point. Treat people like human beings, that’s the main point. It goes back to the whole thing, treat me really bad and pay me well, it’s not gonna lead to happiness.” Trump misinterpreted Jay-Z’s unemployment remarks and tweeted, “Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!”
Here's Why You Should Be Watching The Van Jones Show
Meghan McCain and Van Jones
Van emphasizes the human connection
Van interviewed Bernie Sanders and Meghan McCain and didn’t focus on their politics. It is clear that we are missing the human connection in today’s current climate and lines have been drawn in the sand; you can only be on one side or the other and despise the side you’re not on. No one wants to see our commonalities and that at our core, we are all the same. Van focused on Bernie’s upbringing and his family history. He showed a clip of John McCain on the 2008 campaign trail and how he shut down a supporter who tried to call Barack Obama an Arab while interviewing Meghan. The show emphasizes how it is okay to have opposing views but still be kind to one another while doing so.

He doesn’t sugarcoat racism 
Van saw how rampant drugs were at Yale when he attended and how none of the white kids were sent to prison over it, it was just something young kids did. A few blocks over black kids were doing the very same thing and were sent to prison. He calls out the countless blatant examples of racism in America and how it is justified through political correctness and unfairness. Van Jones is not having it and it is a pleasure to watch him give it to the people straight no chaser.

So far Van has interviewed Jay-Z, Oprah, Ava DuVernay, Jennifer Hudson, Steph Curry, Al Gore, Bernie Sanders and Meghan McCain. The show airs every other Saturday at 7PM on CNN

What are your thoughts on the show? Do you or will you watch?
Here's Why You Should Be Watching The Van Jones Show
Mwabi Kaira is an African girl navigating her way in an American world.  She is of Zambian and Malawian heritage and moved to the USA in 1993.  Writing has been her passion since she could put a sentence together on the page. Mothering her sons is her pride and joy.  She has been an avid runner since 2013 and has run 10 half marathons and a full marathon.  Keep up with her athttp://africanbeautifulme.blogspot.com/

Tags:

Leave a Reply