Everett Leroi Jones, poet, playwright, activist, and educator, was born on October 7, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey to Coyt Leverrette Jones and Anna Lois Jones.
He attended primary and secondary schools in Newark and in 1954 he earned a B.A.
In English from Howard University.
Jones joined the military that same year, serving three years in the Air Force as a gunner.