Black History Month: Jewell Jones - Michigan's Youngest State Representative

By Charlie Peña, CBS 62/CW50 Intern

Jewell Jones made history for the second time earlier in 2016 by becoming the youngest State Representative in Michigan history. In 2015 he became Inkster's youngest council member in history.

He is an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet and is double majoring in Business and Political Science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. This 21 year old African American man is a true role model and proves that you can do anything you put your mind to.

Jones was born and raised in the city of Inkster and vowed to one day make the city a better place. Little did he know that by the age of 20 he would already be on the ballot for city councilman. Shortly after solidifying his role as a councilman of Inkster he went on to lead a record-breaking campaign where he beat Robert Pope for a role as State Representative: 35% - Pope(R) 65% - Jones(D). Now he represents the 11th district.

Setting the record for youngest State Representative and youngest Inkster Councilman is an enormous achievement not only for the African American community but for any progressive Michigander. He is an example that hard work and dedication are the keys to success. Jones now wants to continue his legacy by improving the school systems in places like Inkster where the area's schools were dissolved in 2013 due to a 15 million dollar budget deficit.

Improving public safety, economic development, and income inequality are all goals he plans on tackling during his term. Jones believes that most cities are run by middle-aged and older people who don't have a personal connection to the younger generation. He hopes his achievements and future actions will empower young people to be actively involved in politics.

Jewell Jones is an inspiration to people to keep reaching for their goals and never let age or ethnicity determine what you can do with your life. With hard work and dedication anything is possible.

Charlie Peña is a Digital Media Specialist that studied at Lansing Community College. He is now interning with CBS 62/CW 50. He enjoys filming and editing video and has a special interest in recording and mixing music.