Selwyn Jones - Uncle of George Floyd
Explicit content warning
05/20/21 • 69 min
SELWYN JONES BIO
Born in 1966 to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, Selwyn Miles Jones was the youngest of seventeen children. In the small town of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Selwyn, and his siblings toiled alongside their parents in the tobacco fields and endured the most desolate and harsh conditions imaginable. The poverty, disrespect, hatred and disenfranchisement Selwyn and his family experienced was unimaginable to most, yet commonplace for many Black farming families.
Selwyn realized early on that sharecropping was yet another version of enslavement. His mother made sure to show her children that there was a better life out there for them and encouraged Selwyn to dream big. Selwyn was determined to leave through any means necessary. His athletic prowess provided him with his ticket out. Through a short but intense arena football career he was able to find financial solvency and fulfilled a childhood desire to purchase a home for his mother.
Though life continued to be filled with challenges (Selwyn lost three close family members tragically, including both his parents) he went on to become a successful salesman, hotel owner and father with his dynamic wife Jodie.
Then on May 25, 2020 Selwyn’s life was forever changed. While watching the news, along with the rest of the world, he witnessed the unmerciful murder of his 46-year-old nephew, George Floyd. “It was the most horrific thing that I ever witnessed in my life.”
As George Floyd’s murder ignited the largest civil rights protest in US history, Selwyn Jones became an activist. Every day Selwyn commits to ending police brutality and systemic racism and bringing justice to his nephew’s senseless and cruel murder. Known affectionately as Uncle Selwyn Jones he promised “I will not let his death be in vain. I do not want my sons or anyone else to go through what my nephew endured for that 8 minutes 46 seconds. I want to be a beacon of light for those who face racism or adversity in this life.”
He continues his personal growth by positively enhancing the lives of others in his work as a community & civil rights leader.
Contact:
[email protected]
Additional Resources:
Visible Men: Black Fathers Talk About Losing Sons to Police Brutality | GQ
Media inquiries:
[email protected]
--------------
Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez
SELWYN JONES BIO
Born in 1966 to sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South, Selwyn Miles Jones was the youngest of seventeen children. In the small town of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Selwyn, and his siblings toiled alongside their parents in the tobacco fields and endured the most desolate and harsh conditions imaginable. The poverty, disrespect, hatred and disenfranchisement Selwyn and his family experienced was unimaginable to most, yet commonplace for many Black farming families.
Selwyn realized early on that sharecropping was yet another version of enslavement. His mother made sure to show her children that there was a better life out there for them and encouraged Selwyn to dream big. Selwyn was determined to leave through any means necessary. His athletic prowess provided him with his ticket out. Through a short but intense arena football career he was able to find financial solvency and fulfilled a childhood desire to purchase a home for his mother.
Though life continued to be filled with challenges (Selwyn lost three close family members tragically, including both his parents) he went on to become a successful salesman, hotel owner and father with his dynamic wife Jodie.
Then on May 25, 2020 Selwyn’s life was forever changed. While watching the news, along with the rest of the world, he witnessed the unmerciful murder of his 46-year-old nephew, George Floyd. “It was the most horrific thing that I ever witnessed in my life.”
As George Floyd’s murder ignited the largest civil rights protest in US history, Selwyn Jones became an activist. Every day Selwyn commits to ending police brutality and systemic racism and bringing justice to his nephew’s senseless and cruel murder. Known affectionately as Uncle Selwyn Jones he promised “I will not let his death be in vain. I do not want my sons or anyone else to go through what my nephew endured for that 8 minutes 46 seconds. I want to be a beacon of light for those who face racism or adversity in this life.”
He continues his personal growth by positively enhancing the lives of others in his work as a community & civil rights leader.
Contact:
[email protected]
Additional Resources:
Visible Men: Black Fathers Talk About Losing Sons to Police Brutality | GQ
Media inquiries:
[email protected]
--------------
Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez
Previous Episode
Vishal Shah
Vishal is putting his 20+ years of corporate business experience from the USA, and entrepreneurial experience from launching a business in Kenya, to now help some of the poorest communities in northern Kenya improve their livelihoods through socially and environmentally conscious business.
--------------
Additional Resources:
--------------
Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez
Next Episode
Steven Quigley
Steven Quigley, by age eight, was already an entrepreneur with his first business. He has traveled the world extensively, living in many countries, meeting people and collecting experiences that would later form his future. Before first having spent many years in South Asia, he eventually settled into a sales position on Wall Street. It was not long before he was back to business, eventually creating his own consumer finance firm, before his meeting with the express train – that changed everything. After a long journey inward, including recovery and healing from quadriplegia, he has re-emerged a new man, and is currently learning to walk again. He was enrolled as a graduate student at University of Pennsylvania until he withdrew to write his first book, Unbreakable Mind. As a result of that life changing journey, though some would say a natural fit, he is now an author, international speaker and wellness coach.
Steven Quigley - Additional Resources:
Book:
Unbreakable Mind: Channeling your Survival Instincts after Catastrophic Injury
Websites and Blogs:
Social and Media:
--------------
Music courtesy of Dan Rodriguez:
"The Allies Theme" by Dan Rodriguez
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/allies-144173/selwyn-jones-uncle-of-george-floyd-14031575"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to selwyn jones - uncle of george floyd on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy