This conversation is with Barbara Jones. She’s a daughter, mother, and grandmother, and we talk about caregiving, ancestry, faith, and the roadmap we wish to leave our grandchildren. Barbara talks about her son, Conté, and what he is teaching us, even since his transition at age 24. You can learn more about her work and her family here.

Barbara L. Jones, lifelong Detroiter and community activist, organizer, restorative justice practitioner and youth-violence prevention advocate, is the Community Dispute Resolution Specialist and Faculty Instructor for the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Wayne State University. Barbara mentors and advocates for the youth and students at WSU as well as scores of youth in Detroit and in the metro Detroit area in a variety of capacities in schools and organizations.