Twenty-one-year-old African-American Jewell Jones made history in last Tuesday’s general election, becoming the youngest person ever to be elected to serve as a legislator in the state of Michigan. According to the Daily Times Nigeria, Jones, who is currently a double major student of political science and finance at the University of Michigan, received 66 percent of the vote to beat his opponent, Robert Pope. The legislative seat became vacant following the sudden passing of former Representative Julie Plawecki earlier this year.
An excited Jones took to his Facebook page to share the happy news with his followers, writing “WE WON THE ELECTION – YOU AND I MADE HISTORY, YET AGAIN. I’m looking forward to serving you all in a greater capacity. Please continue to pray for me, the team, and my colleagues as we move forward, together. Keep the faith my brothers and sisters.”
While Jones’s achievement is impressive, he is not new to the record books. In November 2015, he became the youngest person ever to be sworn in as a member of the Inkster City Council after winning council seat elections at the age of 20.
Jones says he has always been a political organizer and active member of his community. Neither his academic pursuits nor his role as a councilman have hampered his passion for national and community service. Jones is member of the Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, the Black Student Union, and the Student Veteran Association.
As America and rest of the world prepares to draw the curtains on the Barack Obama era, Jones, and many others like him, hold out the promise of a bright future marked by vibrant political engagement and participation for members of the African-American community.
