Andrea Jenkins, the first Black openly trans woman elected to public office in the US, has spent her life fighting for marginalized communities. Growing up in a low-income neighborhood in Chicago, Jenkins found solace in the Black arts movement and became a poet, academic, and activist. She faced challenges in her transition, losing relationships in the LGBTQ+ community, but maintained a deep connection to her community in Minneapolis, where she was eventually elected to the City Council. Jenkins has become a leading voice in the fight for police reform and was involved in a proposal to abolish the police force in Minneapolis. While the proposal failed, Jenkins remains committed to the cause, stating that “ending slavery seemed impossible…we’ve come the closest in human history to doing that now.”
Throughout her life, Jenkins has prioritized relationships and resilience. She credits her survival to the support of her community, even as she lost some relationships in the LGBTQ+ community early in her transition. Jenkins found the most support in cisgender women, despite the prevalence of trans-exclusionary radical feminists. Jenkins’ position as a positive representation of a Black trans woman in public office is something she takes seriously, recognizing that she may be the only trans person a particular person will ever meet.
Jenkins’ fight for marginalized communities is ongoing. As the president of the Minneapolis City Council, she deals with everything from “potholes and snow” to housing issues and police brutality. Jenkins remains optimistic, but acknowledges that police brutality against Black people “seemingly just doesn’t end.” She believes that the issues are fundamental, with the history of policing being intertwined with that of slavery. Jenkins continues to be a leading voice in the fight for police reform and is committed to dismantling the system and starting anew, recognizing that true progress may not come in her lifetime. However, she remains determined to keep fighting for Black rights, trans rights, and equality across the board. In doing so, Jenkins is providing a roadmap for marginalized communities and giving young people something to aspire to.
