Hi folks, it’s Chris Jones. You may not know this about me, but I received my Ph.D. in urban planning from MIT.

I want to tell you more about what inspired me to get into urban planning, but first, I have to ask: will you chip in to my campaign to bring meaningful change to Arkansas?

My passion for urban planning comes from a piece of me that means a lot in my life – being a 7th generation Arkansan.

I grew up hearing generations-old stories of discrimination that shaped the experience of my ancestors. It was this same discrimination that made its way into our government, poisoned many of our laws and left loopholes in others, and segregated communities of color across Arkansas and our country.

Take Little Rock, where city planners actively sought out ways to destroy interracial neighborhoods by eliminating predominately Black sections. They did this by coercing Black homeowners to sell their property under the false threat of foreclosure and eviction.

Black communities in Little Rock couldn’t even turn to the city’s housing authority for help as it, too, had an agenda rooted in segregation.

In the 1960s, construction began on I-630, which ran right through Little Rock and added another layer of segregation to the already divided communities. To this day, areas to the north and south of the interstate remain overwhelmingly divided by race, class, resources, and opportunity.

Folks, I’ve always believed that the roots of a city should meet the needs of the people that live there. We can do this by prioritizing health, convenience, and equal access to opportunity for every citizen – not division.

It’s up to us to unlock the untapped potential across our great state and uplift urban, suburban, and rural communities everywhere. We have the tools to do this, but I need your help winning this election so we can put them into action.

Can you chip in and join me on our movement to unlock the full potential of every community across Arkansas, big and small?

I’m honored to have you as part of our grassroots movement.

Together,

Chris Jones