MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — February is Black History Month. AARP Minnesota applauds African American leaders, vibrant community, culture, and history as it pays tribute to Minneapolis City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins, and the work she is doing on behalf of older adults. Jenkins has years of experience working in community development in North Minneapolis and in delivering social services in South Minneapolis. Minneapolis is an AARP Age Friendly Community. With cuts being proposed at the county level to home and community-based services in Minneapolis, Jenkins co-authored “the seniors amendment” that AARP helped push and advocate for. That amendment boosted funding to keep home and community-based services going strong city-wide.
Jenkins is the first African American openly trans woman to be elected to office in the United States. She currently represents the 8th Ward in Minneapolis and serves as Council Vice President. Jenkins is a nationally and internationally recognized poet and writer. She 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.
During Black History Month, AARP Minnesota spotlights its partnerships with artists, writers, advocates, and community leaders like Jenkins and pays tribute to the work she has been engaged in on behalf of older adults with special focus placed on elders in LGBTQ and African American community. AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. To learn more, click here.