20 Facts About Andrea Jenkins

Andrea Jenkins was born on May 10,1961 and is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist.

Andrea Jenkins is known for being the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States, since January 2018 on the Minneapolis City Council and as the council's president from January 2022 to January 2024.

Andrea 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.

In 2018, Jenkins completed Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership fellow.

Andrea Jenkins worked for a decade as a vocational counselor with Hennepin County.

In 2001, Robert Lilligren, who was running for a seat on the Minneapolis City Council, asked Andrea Jenkins to be a part of his campaign.

In 2015, after 12 years as a policy aide with the Minneapolis City Council, Andrea Jenkins began work at the University of Minnesota's Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies where she curates the Transgender Oral History Project.

Andrea Jenkins announced in December 2016 that she would run to represent Minneapolis's 8th Ward on the City Council.

Andrea Jenkins was elected vice president of City Council by her fellow councilors shortly after her election.

The 8th Ward that Andrea Jenkins represents includes the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue intersection where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25,2020.

Andrea Jenkins was reelected to the Minneapolis City Council in November 2021, and was named City Council President on January 10,2022, in a unanimous vote.

Andrea Jenkins is not seeking re-election in 2025 and plans to retire after her third term in office.

The editorial board of the Star Tribune newspaper criticized what is described as attempted intimidation of Andrea Jenkins and compared aspects of the blocking incident to the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

In 2010, Andrea Jenkins won the Naked Stages grant from the Jerome Foundation and Pillsbury House Theater.

Andrea Jenkins was one of several dozen women featured on the January 29,2018, Time cover.

Andrea Jenkins was included in the 2022 Fast Company Queer 50 list.

Andrea Jenkins is a performance artist, poet, and writer who identifies as bisexual and queer.

Andrea Jenkins has participated in the Trans Lives Matter movement and chaired the board of Intermedia Arts.

In 2015, Andrea Jenkins was grand marshal of the Twin Cities Pride Parade.

Andrea Jenkins has cited Barack Obama, Harold Washington, the Black Panther Party, Jeremiah Wright, and Jesse Jackson as having influenced her to be involved with politics.