Andrea Jenkins: podcast appearances and interviews

Andrea Jenkins, born on May 10, 1961, is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist. She gained recognition as the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States. Jenkins served on the Minneapolis City Council from January 2018 to January 2026 and was the council's president from 2022 to 2024. Her career includes a period of employment with the Hennepin County government, beginning after she moved to Minnesota in 1979 to attend the University of Minnesota. She worked there for ten years before joining the Minneapolis City Council, where she served as a staff member for twelve years. In addition to her political career, Jenkins has contributed to the preservation of transgender history by working as the curator of the Transgender Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota's Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies.