Oral History Interview with Valerie Jefferson

Valerie Jefferson was born in Chicago in 1965 and raised in Magnolia, Mississippi. She earned a degree in elementary education from Alcorn University. After finding that teaching did not pay enough, she moved to New Orleans and was hired as a bus operator for the RTA in 1993. Her experience being fired and subsequently reinstated with the union's help spurred her deep involvement in ATU Local 1560. She held various roles, including shop steward and vice president, before being elected as the local's first female president in 2019. Beyond her union work, Ms. Jefferson served as the labor chair for the New Orleans branch and the Louisiana State Conference of the NAACP. She was also an active member of the ATU International Black Caucus, the ATU International Women's Caucus, and community organizations like Step Up Louisiana.