I hope to continue pushing for ways in which our society can progress towards greater acceptance of all minority groups.

One fo the four finalists in the student video series on the 1619 Project, Jalen Jones shares the impact the project made on him.

Jalen is a third year undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in English and Psychology. He has always been an advocate of radical empathy, and hopes to continue pushing for ways in which our society can progress towards greater acceptance for all minority groups. Jalen is especially interested in the Black and Asian American experience throughout American history—the former of which has fueled his interest in the 1619 Project. Being half Black himself, the 1619 Project not only gave him the opportunity to learn about the oppression that his ancestors endured during slavery, but also new ways to think about how to support his community in the future.

View his video here.