Van Jones: Smollett Is ‘Tragedy Beyond Words,’ Was ‘Jackie Robinson Against Homophobia in the Black Community’
After Empire actor Jussie Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police on felony charges of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a hate-crime assault, CNN political commentator Van Jones lamented the ordeal as the “fall of an icon” in the black community and a “tragedy beyond words.”
“This is the fall of an icon,” Jones asserted. “I don’t think people understand how important he has been in the black community. Empire as a show, to have him as a beloved character, I think did a great deal to knock back homophobia in the black community.”
