Andrea Jenkins

This article is about the American politician. For the British politician, see Andrea Jenkyns.

Andrea Jenkins
A woman in a black and white pinstripe top smiles and rests her chin on her hand. She sits in a high-backed brown chair, behind which is a yellow window. In front of her, the top of a laptop computer is visible.
President of the Minneapolis City Council
In office
January 10, 2022 – January 8, 2024
Preceded byLisa Bender[1]
Succeeded byElliott Payne
Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council
In office
January 6, 2018 – January 10, 2022
Preceded byElizabeth Glidden
Succeeded byLinea Palmisano
Member of the Minneapolis City Council
from the 8th Ward
Assumed office
January 6, 2018
Preceded byElizabeth Glidden
Personal details
Born (1961-05-10) May 10, 1961 (age 63)
Chicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
EducationUniversity of Minnesota
Metropolitan State University (BA)
Hamline University (MFA)
Southern New Hampshire University (MS)
Websiteandreajenkins.webs.com

Andrea Jenkins (born May 10, 1961)[2] is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist. She is known for being the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States,[3] since January 2018 on the Minneapolis City Council and as the council's president from January 2022 to January 2024.

Jenkins moved to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota in 1979 and was hired by the Hennepin County government, where she worked for a decade. Jenkins worked as a staff member on the Minneapolis City Council for 12 years before beginning work as curator of the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota's Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies.

  1. ^ Mahamud, Faiza (December 7, 2021). "Andrea Jenkins favored to become next Minneapolis City Council president". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  2. ^ "Andrea Jenkins". NBJC Ubuntu. May 10, 2017. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Chia, Jessica (November 8, 2017). "First openly transgender African American woman elected". Daily News. New York. Retrieved February 12, 2018.