Imara Jones

{{short description|Transgender rights activist}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Imara Jones

|image = Imara Jones Laura Flanders Show 2018.jpg

|caption = Jones in 2018

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|education = Columbia University (BA)
London School of Economics (MS)

|occupation = Political journalist
Activist

|website = {{url|imarajones.com|Official website}}

}}

Imara Jones is an American political journalist and transgender activist who is the creator of TransLash Media,[https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.translash.org&t=ZGE5ZWUzMDVlMDY5MTA0Mzg2YmU0MmQ5ZTY1MTc0NDA0NjljZWFlYSxtMENLQ29uVw%3D%3D&b=t%3AAYwhim6k3Hq2lvDxCLQXOw&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imarajones.com%2Fpost%2F47392130960%2Fbroadcast-biography&m=1 TransLash Media] a cross-platform journalism, personal storytelling and narrative project. She was also the host of The Last Sip,{{Cite web |url=http://www.thelastsip.org/ |title=The Last Sip |access-date=2019-08-13 |archive-date=2023-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408211047/http://www.thelastsip.org/ |url-status=dead }} a weekly, half-hour news show which targeted Millennials of color, especially women and the LGBTQ community. She is transgender.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/25/opinions/growing-up-black-trans-1980s-jones/index.html|title = Opinion: My life growing up Black and trans in 1980s Atlanta|website = CNN| date=25 June 2021 }}

In 2019, she chaired the first-ever United Nations High Level Meeting on Gender Diversity[https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/7/news-event-gender-diversity-and-non-binary-identities UN High Level Meeting on Gender Diversity] with over 600 participants.

Jones’ work as a host, on-air news analyst, and writer focuses on social justice and equity issues. She has been featured in a number of news outlets such as The Guardian, The Nation,{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/thanks-jimmy-carter-for-stating-what-should-be-obvious-trumps-campaign-is-racist/|title=Thanks, Jimmy Carter, for Stating What Should Be Obvious: Trump's Campaign Is Racist|last=Jones|first=Imara|journal=The Nation|date=2016-05-26|access-date=2019-08-13|language=en-US|issn=0027-8378|archive-date=2019-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810025023/https://www.thenation.com/article/thanks-jimmy-carter-for-stating-what-should-be-obvious-trumps-campaign-is-racist/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/trans-women-color-lgbtq-stonewall/|title=Trans Women of Color Are the Past and Future of LGBTQ Liberation|last=Jones|first=Imara|journal=The Nation|date=2019-06-27|access-date=2019-08-13|language=en-US|issn=0027-8378|archive-date=2020-01-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110205133/https://www.thenation.com/article/trans-women-color-lgbtq-stonewall/|url-status=dead}} MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, Mic,{{Cite web|url=https://www.mic.com/articles/166968/trump-wants-to-grow-our-economy-and-deport-millions-of-undocumented-immigrants-he-cant-do-both|title=Trump wants to grow our economy and deport millions of undocumented immigrants. He can't do both.|website=Mic|date=28 January 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-08-13}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mic.com/articles/169006/repealing-obamacare-would-be-devastating-for-transgender-americans|title=Repealing Obamacare would be devastating for transgender Americans|website=Mic|date=17 February 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-08-13}} TheGrio,{{Cite web|url=https://thegrio.com/2019/04/16/morehouse-college-decision-trans-men-significant-at-the-expense-of-trans-women/|title=OPINION: While Morehouse College's decision to admit trans men is significant, it's completely at the expense of trans women|last=Jones|first=Imara|date=2019-04-16|website=theGrio|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-13}}{{Cite web|url=https://thegrio.com/2019/06/24/confronting-black-mens-roles-in-the-murder-of-black-transgender-women/|title=OPINION: Confronting Black men's roles in the murders of Black transgender women may be the only way to save our lives|last=Jones|first=Imara|date=2019-06-24|website=theGrio|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-13}} ColorLines{{Cite web |url=https://www.colorlines.com/writers/imara-jones |title=Colorlines |access-date=2019-06-26 |archive-date=2019-06-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626074647/https://www.colorlines.com/writers/imara-jones |url-status=dead }} and the In The Thick{{Cite web |url=http://futuromedia.libsyn.com/elections-worth-fighting-for |title=In The Thick |access-date=2020-02-24 |archive-date=2020-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224170200/http://futuromedia.libsyn.com/elections-worth-fighting-for |url-status=dead }} podcast. She was also interviewed for the New York City Transgender Oral History Project in collaboration with the New York Public Library.{{Cite web|url=http://oralhistory.nypl.org/interviews/imara-jones-hu6j1i|title=NYPL Community Oral History Project {{!}} NYC Trans Oral History Project {{!}} Imara Jones|website=oralhistory.nypl.org|access-date=2019-08-15}}

Jones has held economic policy posts in the Clinton White House and communications positions at Viacom, where she led the award-winning Know HIV-AIDS campaign. She holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Columbia University. Jones is currently a Soros Equality Fellow[https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/open-society-foundations-announce-2019-soros-equality-fellows Soros Equality Fellow] and on the board of the Anti Violence Project [https://avp.org/ Anti Violence Project] and the New Pride Agenda.[https://newprideagenda.org/ New Pride Agenda]