Anna V. Jefferson facts for kids
Anna V. Jefferson (born May 7, 1926 – died June 24, 2011) was an important American politician from New York. She made history as the first African-American woman to represent Brooklyn in the New York State Senate. She served in this role from 1983 to 1984.
Early Life and Education
Anna V. Jefferson was born on May 7, 1926, in Columbia, South Carolina. Her parents were Maxie and Viola Wallace Jefferson. When she was young, her family moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant area in Brooklyn, New York City.
Anna went to Public School Nr. 44 and then Girls' High School in Brooklyn. She later studied at New York University. She earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting and Business Administration. After college, she became a certified teacher. She taught subjects like bookkeeping and office practices.
Career and Politics
In 1969, Anna Jefferson took on a big role at the New York City Board of Education. She became the Director of a new department. Her job was to help automate, or computerize, the payroll system. This was a very important task for the city's schools.
Around the same time, Anna Jefferson also started her career in politics. She joined the Democratic Party.
Time in the State Senate
Anna Jefferson became a member of the New York State Senate. She represented the 22nd District. She served in the Senate during 1983 and 1984. This made her the first African-American woman from Brooklyn to hold this position.
In 1984, she wanted to run for re-election. However, the Democratic Party organization in her district chose someone else. They nominated Velmanette Montgomery for the Senate seat instead.
Anna Jefferson tried to challenge this decision. She worked to get enough signatures to be on the primary ballot. A primary election helps a party choose its candidate. Her petition showed a certain number of signatures. However, the actual number of signatures was lower than what was written on the cover sheet.
The New York Court of Appeals looked at her petition. Even though she claimed it was a simple mistake, the court decided the error meant her petition was not valid. Because of this, she could not run in the primary election.
Later Life
Anna V. Jefferson passed away on June 24, 2011.
