Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones is an New York Times Bestseller and NAACP Image Award Nominee. She is also a Root 100 Most Influential African Americans, and GQ Germany Voice of the Year. An American author and filmmaker, Kimberly Jones is known for the New York Times bestselling young adult novel, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight. The book was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award in 2020.
She is also known for the viral video “How Can We Win” published during the George Floyd protest. That same year, a seven-minute video featuring Kim using a Monopoly analogy to explain the history of racism and its impact on Black Americans went viral. Trevor Noah, LeBron James, Madonna, and more shared the viral video. Shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver also featured the video. Kim subsequently signed an overall deal with Warner Brothers via her production company Push Films with her partner DeWayne “Duprano” Martin.
She resides in Atlanta and is the proud mother of a gifted boy. She lives for wigs and nail art, as her style icons are Dolly Parton, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross.
Literary Roots
Kim’s literary roots run deep. She was part of the Selection Committee for the Library of Congress’ National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2016-2017. She served on the 2015 Children’s Choice Illustrator Committee for The Children’s Book Council. Additionally on the advisory board, she helped create the Creative and Innovative Education Master’s Degree program at Georgia State University.
Featured Publications and Accolades
Ms. Magazine, Seventeen, Paste Magazine, Bustle, Hello Giggles, Book List, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal have featured Kimberly Jones in their publications. She also was Book Brahmin in an issue of Shelf Awareness. She received one of the inaugural James Patterson Holiday Bookseller Bonus grants while working at the famous children’s bookstore, Little Shop of Stories. Most recently, Kim’s bestselling novel, I’m Not Dying With You Tonight, co-authored with Gilly Segal, was nominated for an NAACP Image award, Georgia Author Of The Year award, and the Cybils Awards. Barnes & Noble YA book club selected I’m Not Dying With You Tonight as their September 2019 book club pick. Overdrive selected the work as their Big Library Read.
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Trade Paperback
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A breakdown of the economic and social injustices facing Black people and other marginalized citizens, inspired by political activist Kimberly Jones’s viral video “How Can We Win”
“So if I played four hundred rounds of Monopoly with you and I had to play and give you every dime that I made, and then for fifty years, every time...Read More
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Paperback
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An NAACP Image Award Nominee, I’m Not Dying with You Tonight follows two teen girls—one black, one white—who have to confront their own assumptions about racial inequality as they rely on each other to get through the violent race riot that has set their city on fire with civil unrest....Read More
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Civic Engagement: How to Engage in Your Community
This talk empowers audiences to see civic engagement as more than just voting. Kimberly Jones share practical, everyday ways to get involved in your community—through service, advocacy, and local initiatives—that make a lasting impact.
Navigating Educational Choices for Your Child
Based on her own journey raising a son who has attended public, charter, and boarding schools and is now thriving in college, Kimberly Jones offer parents and caregivers insight into how to evaluate educational options. This talk provides strategies for making informed, values-aligned decisions about what learning environment will best support a child’s growth.
How We Can Win
As we approach the five-year anniversary of the George Floyd protests, this milestone offers a moment to reflect on the progress made and the challenges that remain in the fight for racial justice. In her talks, Kimberly Jones explores the impact of grassroots organizing, strategies for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the systemic inequities that persist. Drawing from her book, How We Can Win: Race, History, and Changing the Money Game That’s Rigged, Kimberly aims to foster meaningful discussions about where we stand today and how we can continue to push for lasting change.
Unlocking Your Creative Potential: Embracing the Joy of Self-Expression
Join acclaimed author Kimberly Jones as she shares practical tips and techniques for unlocking your creative potential, encouraging personal growth and self-discovery through various forms of expression.
Motherhood Redefined: Embracing the Challenges and Celebrating the Joys
In this heartfelt speech, Kimberly Jones reflects on the transformative journey of motherhood, discussing the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned along the way, while inspiring fellow mothers to embrace their unique experiences.
“Viral Activist Kimberly Jones Presents Manifesto for Dismantling Injustices”
“Black Lives Matter: ‘How can we win?’ Monopoly analogy explained”
“Why Activist Kimberly Jones Says Trump Still Owes Black America An Apology For Tulsa Rally Timing”
“Kimberly commanded attention with the kind of presence that feels both powerful and deeply intimate. Her blend of storytelling, vulnerability, and conviction created a room full of women who leaned in. She connected with our audience—moms balancing career, identity, and community—in a way that felt personal, urgent, and hopeful while also offering tangible, action-oriented takeaways that mothers in the room could carry into their homes, workplaces, and beyond. Her words weren’t just heard; they catalyzed community.”
— Angela Fusaro, Emory Alumni Association
“Kimberly is a passionate and engaged speaker, and most importantly, she made a real impact on the students who heard her speak. She emphasized the critical ways teachers can impact the world, and she discussed the importance of authenticating sources, storytelling as a way to form connection, activism, and the power of the written word to cultivate empathy. Students emailed after the event, describing how inspiring Kimberly was and how they were at a loss for words after the event ended. Without hesitation I would recommend any organization bring Kimberly to speak to their staff, students, faculty, administration, or however your organization is structured. She connects to people on a human level and kept an entire classroom of undergraduate students rapt with attention (which is no easy feat)!”
— Arianna Banack, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English Education, University of South Florida“Kimberly Latrice Jones was a phenomenal speaker for our Black History Month event. The students LOVED her; she has left a lasting impression on our community.”
— Samaiyah Faison, Assistant Director, Mary Lou Center for Black Culture“[Jones] made what I think is the most coherent, clear, current case for younger people to understand reparations.”
— Joy Reid on MSNBC“[Kim] was energizing and such a pleasure to have. She set the tone for the rest of the gathering.”
— Stefi Hernández, IDEO.orgPraise for How We Can Win
“Kimberly truly took my breath away the first time I heard her speak. Learning from all of her work continues to be such a privilege. No punches pulled, no opportunities for change missed and no lies told. I am so grateful this generation has a voice like hers to guide us.”
— Jameela Jamil, actor, advocate, and writer“In a voice that is equal parts clear, unflinching and hopeful, Kimberly Jones fills in the missing pieces to the puzzle of Black American economic disparity. So much of the truth has been (purposely) hidden in the dark, but Kimberly brings the light. A must-read for everyone ready to fight for true equity.”
— Layla F. Saad, New York Times & Sunday Times bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy“Kimberly’s message is as clarion in How We Can Win as it was when it erupted from her being in her now-famous viral video. There is a way forward in this rigged system, but it will take us knowing how we got here and working as a community to get out. Kimberly, like Mother Harriet, is saying, If we hear the dogs, keep going. If we want to get to freedom, keep going. This book is a liberatory map I desperately pray we all follow.”
— Sonya Renee Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of The Body is Not An ApologyBook This Speaker
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