This past spring, we asked UHP students to submit questions for an interview with Honors alumna Amber Z. Jones (summa cum laude, African American and African Studies, 2015). UHP Director Matt Bribitzer-Stull had a wonderful and wide-ranging conversation with Amber, and we're happy to share the full video with you all today (scroll to the bottom of this page to view). We had some unfortunate technical issues with our camera lens that day, but Amber's advice and wisdom are simply too good not to share. Thanks for watching!
About Amber Z. Jones
UHP alumna Amber Jones (she/her) is originally from Chicago and has resided in the Twin Cities for the last ten years. She possesses over ten years of community organizing, political advocacy, youth development, and leadership experience. She uses her gifts of serving, teaching, and leading to equip young people to discover their innate purpose and claim their divine power. Her broad experience in public & nonprofit sectors sharpens her ability to cultivate critical leadership skills and to advocate for systems change at all levels.
During her time at the University of Minnesota, Amber was a McNair Scholar, joined the University Honors Program as a post-freshman admit, served as the president of the Black Student Union, completed a History Day internship with the Minnesota Historical Society, took 4 semesters of classical Greek, and considered going into the teaching profession. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in African American and African Studies in 2015, and was a 2021-2022 Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Amber is currently the Senior Director of Network Insights for the African American Leadership Forum. At the time of the interview, she was serving as a Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, where she worked on a diverse range of issues including public safety, corrections, human rights, the judiciary, data practices, and criminal justice reform. Additionally, Amber has been involved with the Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy, MN Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, AchieveMpls, the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, and New Leaders Council.