π³οΈββ§οΈ Poet, performance artist, politician and ground-breaker: hello Andrea Jenkins!
πΊπΈ Earlier this year, she became the first Black trans woman to lead a U.S city council.
Here's how she is on a mission to shake up politics. ππ§΅
openlynews.com/i/?id=fff06b37β¦
πΊπΈ Earlier this year, she became the first Black trans woman to lead a U.S city council.
Here's how she is on a mission to shake up politics. ππ§΅
openlynews.com/i/?id=fff06b37β¦
πΊπΈ Jenkins was born in Chicago in 1961 and grew up in what she has described as a "low-income, working-class community".
βοΈ She began writing poetry in her mid-teens.
π³οΈβπIn her 20s, she came out as bi, got married, became a parent, got divorced at 30 and later came out as trans.
βοΈ She began writing poetry in her mid-teens.
π³οΈβπIn her 20s, she came out as bi, got married, became a parent, got divorced at 30 and later came out as trans.
π€ "How do I impact policy?" was a question Jenkins always has on her mind.
πIn 2001, @RLilligren, a gay Native American who was running for the Minneapolis City Council, asked her to be a part of his campaign.
π His victory led to Jenkins' role as a policy aide for 13 years.
πIn 2001, @RLilligren, a gay Native American who was running for the Minneapolis City Council, asked her to be a part of his campaign.
π His victory led to Jenkins' role as a policy aide for 13 years.
π³οΈββ§οΈ In 2014, Jenkins earned a fellowship dedicated to trans issues and helped to establish the Transgender Issues Work Group.
π A year later, she started working at the @UMNews to curate the Transgender Oral History Project.
π³ Jenkins was elected to the city council in 2017.
π A year later, she started working at the @UMNews to curate the Transgender Oral History Project.
π³ Jenkins was elected to the city council in 2017.
π°οΈ Today, she worries that things are going backwards in the U.S., with trans-related bills in largely conservative states seeking to turn back the clock.
π§Ύ Last year, 34 states introduced 147 bills targeting trans people, according to LGBTQ+ rights organisation @HRC.
π§Ύ Last year, 34 states introduced 147 bills targeting trans people, according to LGBTQ+ rights organisation @HRC.
βοΈ On May 25, 2020, the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man by a white police officer shook Minneapolis.
π΄ In response, the City Council declared racism a public health crisis.
Jenkins recalls feeling "crushingly, emotionally woundedβ, on first hearing the news.
π΄ In response, the City Council declared racism a public health crisis.
Jenkins recalls feeling "crushingly, emotionally woundedβ, on first hearing the news.
π Now, as president of the city council, @annapoetic is focused on "healing my community".
π³οΈβπ "I really hope that my (role in) public life provides some inspiration for others to see trans and gender-non-conforming people in a more positive light," she told us.
π³οΈβπ "I really hope that my (role in) public life provides some inspiration for others to see trans and gender-non-conforming people in a more positive light," she told us.
πΊπΈ Jenkins has been working in local government for almost 30 years, and she still teaches poetry at her local arts college.
π£ "I think we have to inject more love and poetry into our public discourse," she said.
Read @hugo_greenhalgh's full story. π
openlynews.com/i/?id=fff06b37β¦
π£ "I think we have to inject more love and poetry into our public discourse," she said.
Read @hugo_greenhalgh's full story. π
openlynews.com/i/?id=fff06b37β¦
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