Justin Jones

Justin Jones

Justin Jones is a Nashville Tennessee activist.

Education

Studied at Fisk University.

Leaders We Deserve

In August 2023, two prominent youth activists — gun safety advocate David Hogg and Kevin Lata, Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost's 2022 campaign manager — are launching a new organization seeking to put more young people in elected office.

"A big part of this ... is electing young people that have the values of our generation, that understand the anxiety of not knowing if you’re going to be able to survive math class," Lata told NBC News.

That's why he and Hogg are partnering to launch a group, Leaders We Deserve, that will support young candidates for congressional and state legislative office.

The group will feature a PAC arm that can coordinate with campaigns as well as a super PAC that can raise and spend unlimited amounts supporting candidates.

"Running for office is so hard," Lata told NBC News, "I mean, it's it's gotta be one of the hardest things there is to do and for a young person it's even harder."

Lata added that "young people just don't necessarily have the political connections or fundraising connections. So the idea is ... we'll help raise money for them. We will work to try to help get them, get connected with reporters to write stories about their races ... just like work really closely to help them build out the mechanics of the campaign."

The pair plans to hire a staff to support their work and will select 15 to 30 candidates to back at the state legislative level. They haven't ruled out working with a limited number of congressional campaigns, too.

They're being advised by a diverse group of young, progressive elected officials, including Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Maxwell Frost and Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, who was briefly expelled from the legislature for leading a protest in favor of gun control onto the state House floor earlier this year.

Ida B. Wells Plaza

Perhaps 100 to 150 or so protestors claimed Friday night June 12 2020 that they had taken control of Nashville’s Legislative Plaza.

They renamed it Ida B. Wells Plaza and draped a black tarp with the civil rights’ journalist’s name over a post visible to almost the entire surrounding area.

And then the protestors pitched their tents and said they weren’t going anywhere.

As of press time Friday, no law enforcement officers were rounding the protestors up to arrest them, even though such acts, if one is indeed guilty of committing them, are Class A misdemeanors.

Left-wing activist Justin Jones spoke.

“The governor seemed a little scared today because we said we were going to spend the night and we meant that, because this is stolen land. This is our land and that we have been marching for weeks now. There has been no change from those in this building. And so we are holding this space. We will set these tents out here. We intend to stay until Governor Lee comes out and talks to people about why we are out here,” Jones said.

“We saw Marsha Blackburn today call us anarchists. We saw Speaker [Cameron] Sexton today say that if we stay out here they will try and raise the penalty to a felony. The real criminals, though, work in this building. The real criminals work on the Metro Nashville Police Department. The real criminals work in the legislature. So we are here to reclaim this space. We encourage you to tell other people to come out today. We intend to stay here. We are a non-violent protest.”

Memphis Solidarity Brigade

The Memphis district of Freedom Road brought together cadre from around the nation to support a local organizing effort, Memphis For All, to apply our line and strategy to local elections. The Path to Power Memphis for all Solidarity Brigade took place in mid-July 2018 to culminate with an early voting canvassing effort.

Thomas Wayne Walker May 29 2018:

yo!!! i'm excited to invite y'all to sign up for a program focused on learning, on-the-ground, about building political power as leftists, revolutionaries and radicals in working class communities of color that are left out & shut out of politics. the path to power memphis solidarity brigade will combine training & actual field work in support of justice organizations engaging in electoral work to build power, like memphis for all, labor unions, and more. you can sign up at this link

it's listed as wednesday 7/18-sunday 7/22, but the real programming is focused on thursday 7/19-saturday 7/21. housing and food are supported, and other support is available. i'm hoping especially to get folks from tennessee to do it, so we can start really thinking about building a #tennesseeforall. hit me up if you're interested, apply now to get in on this.

Thomas Wayne Walker, Jyoti Gupta, Lindsey Glenn Krinks, Whitney Washington, Briana Perry, Anna Carella, Ramon J. Ryan, David Alex Hayes, Elizabeth Stanfield, Dana Smith, Anne Barnett Josh Adams, Ashley Caldwell, Erica Renee, Deja Foster Justin A. Davis Justin Jones, Sj Payne, Salma Mirza, Jasmine Wallace, Nancy Dung Nguyen, Chris Brooks, Haley Greenwell, Odessa Kelly. Aaron Gamal, Cazembe Jackson, Eliott Geary. Frank W. Johnson, John Emery, Allie Cohn, Calvin Cheung-Miaw.

Voter activism

Justin Jones November 9, 2016; ·

Today is Election Day, yet too many Tennesseans still cannot vote because of restrictive voter ID policies, purging of eligible voters, and felony disenfranchisement. If you can vote, please support candidates who will protect voting rights and #RestoreTheVRA.

(#LetMyPeopleVote banner by amazing art/ivist Jessi Zazu!) — with Evan Abdullah, Jourdan Collins and Taylor Prescott at Tennessee State Capitol.

Nashville Student Organizing Committee

Nashville Student Organizing Committee October 4, 2016;

Chairman Justin Jones attempts to deliver NSOC's letter to Gov. Bill Haslam's office, but is refused entrance by security who say "protestors are not

Standing Rock

Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing

Revolutionary Strategies to Beat the Rising Right Wing, was a nationwide conference call organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Sunday October 30, 2016.

What's the nature of this right-wing threat? What has this election cycle changed about the political terrain we're fighting on? How do we need to prepare for whats coming after the election? Hear about these crucial questions from our panel of top political strategists, including Nelini Stamp, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Linda Burnham, and Sendolo Diaminah.

Those indicating interest in attending, on Facebook included Justin Jones.

Now What? Defying Trump and the Left's Way Forward

Now What? Defying Trump and the Left's Way Forward was a phone in webinar organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization in the wake of the 2016 election.

Now what? We’re all asking ourselves that question in the wake of Trump’s victory. We’ve got urgent strategizing and work to do, together. Join Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson of the Movement for Black Lives and Freedom Road, Calvin Cheung-Miaw, Jodeen Olguin-Taylor of Mijente and WFP, Joe Schwartz of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Sendolo Diaminah of Freedom Road for a discussion of what happened, and what we should be doing to build mass defiance. And above all, how do we build the Left in this, which we know is the only solution to the crises we face?

This event will take place Tuesday November 15, 2016 at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central/6pm Pacific.

Those invited, on Facebook included Justin Jones.