Jolanda Jones believes in a Houston where a kid like her can grow up to be a successful lawyer and businesswoman, a homeowner, even a member of City Council, and most importantly, a mom who can afford to give her son the opportunity for a bright future.
From a childhood of poverty to the Academic All American Hall of Fame, then on to a successful career as an attorney fighting to reform our criminal justice system, Jolanda Jones' personal story sheds light on the kind of leadership, commitment, and teamwork she brings to Houston's City Council.
Jolanda knows that our city government can make a real difference in the life of every Houston child, because it did for her.
That’s why Council Member Jolanda Jones if fighting to make our neighborhoods safer, keep our economy growing, make our city work better and ensure every child in Houston had the best opportunity to learn.
She stood with the residents of Southampton – an upscale community in central Houston – against the developers of the Ashby high rise, an out-of-scale project that threatens to destroy the character of their neighborhood.
She fought for the senior disabled residents of Bellerive – a Houston Housing Authority property – so they wouldn’t be charged for costs they could not afford to clean up asbestos after a fire damaged their units.
Jolanda, along with many others in Houston, pitched in after Hurricane Ike, arranging for 18-wheelers stocked with ice and water to stock the PODS on which many depended.
She worked with former Mayor Bill White to make our city budget a little more human-friendly, by increasing funds for veterans services, pedestrian safety, “quieter zones” in neighborhoods and after-school programs – including an After School Achievement Program at the Alief Community Center, coordinated by Texans Together, to establish social service programs to include vocational training, computer training, and tutorials.
And she voted consistently to support our police, firefighters and city employees so that they can keep us safe and provide the high quality of services that Houstonians deserve. I am fighting especially hard to guarantee a workplace free of discrimination for all our firefighters so that they can do their jobs without distraction and added stress.
And I’ve worked to improve our quality of life – from fighting a polluting business that posed a dangerous nuisance to its neighbors, to speaking out against allowing “hot sheet” motels close to neighborhoods, to working for equitable solutions for Houstonians living in the flood plain, to fighting against unsightly billboards.
Jolanda Jones credits an excellent public school education and a rich after-school life in sports and community with her successes. Jones attended Alief Elsik High School in Houston, where she graduated magna cum laude and was an All-American in track and field and basketball. From there, she went on to the University of Houston, where she was nominated for the Rhodes Scholarship, earned an unprecedented three NCAA heptathlon championships and the title of Greatest Female Athlete of the Century. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in political science, and later went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. In 1996, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Along the way, Jones always stayed active in the community. Because of her outstanding service, she earned Congressional recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, a key to the city of Galveston, Texas and three "Jolanda Jones Day" proclamations from the cities of Houston and Galveston. Jones holds numerous Hall of Fame titles, and was a contestant on CBS' hit TV show Survivor. Today, Jones works as a successful attorney fighting to reform our criminal justice system. She was instrumental in bringing to light the serious problems at the HPD Crime Lab, refusing to back down because innocent people were being convicted, and criminals were going free. Of course, she'll tell you that her most important job is being a mother to her 17-year-old son.
From her trailing list of achievements, it is nearly impossible to tell that Jones' early life was colored by tragedy and personal setbacks. Jones grew up poor, was sometimes evicted and lived in apartments that often had no electricity or running water. Her father committed suicide in her presence when she was only 13 months old and she raised her four younger siblings while still a child herself. Yet, Jones fought her way out of the ghetto because she saw a better future and a chance to serve her community.
"I learned some important lessons along the way," says Jolanda. "I learned we don't win in life by pushing people down. We win by lifting them up. We don't win by tearing communities apart. We win by bringing them together. Most of all, I learned that winning ultimately means nothing unless we give back, by serving others."
Now, Jolanda is a Houston City Council Member, and her positions tellingly reflect her life experiences. Jones is calling for safer neighborhoods, affordable housing, job creation and community partnerships to maximize educational opportunities for all children. Indeed, giving every child in Houston the same opportunity that she had may be her hardest-held conviction, in life and in running for public office.
"My road out of poverty was paved with an excellent education and the chance to learn teamwork and leadership through after-school activities like sports. I overcame some seemingly insurmountable odds because I saw that hard work really does pay off and that hope is real, I want to make sure every child and family in Houston gets that same chance to realize their potential."
