If you are a CNN, CBS or MSNBC news watcher (which a lot of us are), Jamal Simmons is a name and face you should be familiar with. He is a political analyst who is notable for being a television commentator for CBS News and CNN. He served as chief of staff to U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and as a political aide to U.S. Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor. He was press secretary to Senator Bob Graham and General Wesley K. Clark’s presidential campaigns and worked in various capacities for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. We can say that he’s been around the political circuit. AfroStyle Magazine caught up with him during a visit to Los Angeles, California, to talk about his career, life; his thoughts on fashion, politics and a project very dear to him.

ASM: You have taken on a lot of positions in your career. Which one of them has been the most rewarding, life changing and significant?
JS: I would say my most significant and rewarding would be my time working with President Clinton because it really changed my whole worldview. I grew up in Detroit and had traveled only to Canada and Tijuana. Over the course of two to three years under his administration, I traveled to fifteen countries and began to understand how similar people are despite how different we are. I can probably say that I am the only person in my family to go to Namibia for the first time. So that job would be the most significant because it certainly altered my life projectory.

ASM: How do you stay relevant amongst your peers and to a more skeptical younger generation?
JS: I don’t think anyone likes it when someone pretends to be like them just for the sake it. They will see right through you and won’t buy it. But if you talk to people genuinely and you show respect to everyone, you are given the platform to voice your opinion. Respect shown particularly to the young African American generation is very critical and so talking to them as you would an adult is important. I remember as a kid, I used to feel like people did not respect my opinion because I was young though I thought my opinions were valid. So I try to remember that when I am talking to young people because I was in that position.

ASM: What does balance mean to you and in your line of work?
JS: My job is to have an opinion. So one of the things that has been a transition for me from being a political operative to a media personality and political analyst, is to learn how to not be balanced nor see both sides. That is to actually push my opinion forward professionally and be an advocate for the people; and myself and not an advocate for those I work for. In regards to balance in life, in the past I spent so much time when I was younger working so much that I missed a lot of family and friends’ events. I went to a friend’s house and saw some photos of a birthday party where everyone except me attended. The sad thing about that was I could not remember what I was doing that weekend that made it impossible for me to attend his party. That’s when I realized that no matter how big my profession maybe, nothing’s more important than being with family and friends. Therefore, I decided in my early thirties that I would never miss them again.

ASM: Fashion sees many trends. What would you say is the new or current trend in the political landscape in comparison to politics in the past?
JS: The biggest impact on politics is how fast the media moves today. In the past a story would come out but we would not hear about it until the next day. Today you would hear about it within five minutes; it’s incredibly fast. I remember in the nineties when a photographer would take it to a courier who in turn would delta dash it on a plane to New York, Chicago or Los Angeles to be published in the next day’s newspapers. Today, the photo or story is uploaded unto the computer and it is available for viewing online in a matter of minutes. What is good about the latter is that people have access to information quickly. They have more sources to get the information from. What is bad about it is that there is not enough time to digest and think about the relative importance of any piece of information. So we are constantly reacting, responding and digesting but not spending enough time tasting or savoring to figure out what information is important or unimportant. So I would say change in media is probably the biggest impact I have seen in politics over the course of the last twenty years. ___

ASM: You are involved in a fundraising program called $40 for 40 kids benefitting the Rosa L. Parks Foundation. Can you tell us more about that?
JS: The Rosa L. Parks Foundation was founded in 1980 in Detroit to give forty scholarships every year to high school seniors to go to college. I got one of those scholarships when I graduated. So I want to ensure that young people get the same opportunity that I got. It is a wonderful organization with ninety-five percent of the money raised going to scholarship while the rest goes to administrative fees, overhead and so on. The campaign came about by having celebrities from Kerry Washington, Kim Coles to Rosario Dawson, Hill Harper and many others; along with political analysts from both sides of the aisle use the Social Media giants Twitter and Facebook to encourage their followers or friends to donate $40 or more. Although, it is the first time done, the response has been tremendous.

ASM: How can people get involved?
JS: The easiest way is to go to my website www.jamalsimmons.com or go to www.therosaparksfoundation.org and click on the donation link to donate. With everybody doing that, we can have a big impact with everyone doing a small part.

ASM: Who’s your favorite fashion designer and why?
JS: My favorite fashion designers are Shane and Shawn Ward. They own a shoe-line called the DTE line. They are childhood friends of mine and are very creative. In general, I do not really have a favorite. I do not even look at labels. I just see what I like and that is it! (laughs).

ASM: Where do you see the future of American Politics in relation to the world?
JS: American politics has always been a beacon to the world. I think other countries have seen a lot of things in the American political system that they would love to emulate. Over the last few years, we have been through a rough patch and this has raised a lot of questions in people’s minds. However, the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 sent a positive message around the globe because no where else in the world would a member of a minority group; who did not come from power or wealth, become a leader of an entire nation. It was not about being a Democrat or Republican but about how amazing America is. I think that renewed people’s faith in America’s political system a little more. You can see this when he travels and thousands of people are out to see him. But it is not just about him, it is for the country because when you see them, they are not necessarily waving photos of him but of the American flag. I think that is a tremendous statement.

ASM: How would you define your AfroStyle?
JS: I tend to wear my work uniform, which is the suit and tie. But in my home, you would see a fusion of art and a variety of things from a lot of different places I have traveled to such as China, Namibia, France and even here in the States. Also, I am into my family’s history and so I have old black and white photographs of my family that I took from my dad’s attic. I got them professionally framed and have them hanging on the walls of my home like a little museum. I have a library of books I collect ranging from history to fiction, geography and more. I think being able to see ones interests in his or her book collection is pretty cool.

ASM: What advice do you have for those who want to follow the same path as you have?
JS: I would say learn how to write. Get a good mentor because it is important to have people to help coach you through the big decisions you have to make and help you figure out what to do to get better. Be fearless but also be humble and be willing to take criticism. I believe that people will tell the truth about you. It is a question of if they say it in your face or behind your back. You just have to create an environment where people will say it in your face.

ASM: Thank you and more success in all your endeavors.
JS: Thank you.

by Amaka M. Onyioha Photo by Jason Maddox