Talks & Entertainment

This program does not include a book signing. All books will be pre-signed by the author.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Van Jones’ reporting reflected his unscripted, truth-telling style and history for building bridges across party lines. A longtime progressive activist with deep roots in the conservative South, Jones has made it his mission to challenge voters and viewers to stand in one another’s shoes and disagree constructively.

In Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together, the CNN political contributor and host of the recurring CNN primetime special The Messy Truth with Van Jones, offers a blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change.

Jones demonstrates how both parties have strayed from their highest principles and let down their core constituencies. He urges both sides to abandon the politics of accusation and focus on real solutions. Recognizing that tough challenges require the best wisdom from both liberals and conservatives, Jones points us toward practical answers to problems that impact everyone regardless of region or ideology: rural and inner city poverty, unemployment, addiction, and unfair incarceration, among other issues.

Jones was a special advisor to the Obama White House and is the author of two New York Times bestsellers. He received the “Young Global Leader” designation from the World Economic Forum and has been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In conversation with Jake Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and the anchor of “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and “State of the Union.”