Valerie Jackson is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 host, philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

, and former advertising

Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

 executive. She is the widow of former Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

 mayor Maynard Jackson

Maynard Jackson

Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. was an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. He served three terms, two consecutive terms from 1974 until 1982 and a third term from 1990 to 1994...

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Early life

She was born to Charles and Cora Ruth Richardson, and grew up in Richmond. In 1963 she was one of the first black students admitted into her high school, from which she graduated in 1967. She went on to major in business management at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...

 (BBA 1971), and continued her studies at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

 (MBA 1973). From there she worked in executive capacities for Grey Advertising and Trans World Airlines

Trans World Airlines

Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...

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First Lady

Richardson first met Maynard Jackson, at that time the first black mayor of Atlanta, in 1976 at a party hosted by singer Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...

. They were married in 1980, and she became stepmother to his three children from his previous marriage, later giving birth to two girls of their own, Valerie Amanda and Alexandra. During her husband's tenure as mayor, she served as advisor to the city's economic development program, bringing to Atlanta such national and international events as the 1988 Democratic National Convention

1988 Democratic National Convention

The 1988 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18–July 21, 1988 to select a candidate for the 1988 United States presidential election. At the convention Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was nominated for President and...

 and the 1996 Summer Olympics

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

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Present

After her husband left the mayoral office for the final time in 1994, both of them continued their philanthropic work in the community, specifically in organizations helping the underprivileged. Both of them led the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation, and Mrs. Jackson serving on the board for Alliance for a New Humanity

Alliance for a New Humanity

Alliance for a New Humanity is an international network of people from all walks of life who want to see positive change take place in the world...

. After her husband's death in 2003, Mrs. Jackson started hosting a radio show on WABE

WABE

WABE FM 90.1 is a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, that is affiliated with National Public Radio and Public Radio International . WABE's format features mostly classical music. It has lately added the short feature Atlanta Sounds and twice weekly previews of weekend events around the city...

, the National Public Radio station in Atlanta, called Between the Lines. On the show, she interviews notable intellectuals in the world community who help the world through a variety of outlets, such as politics, literature and the media. Among the subjects Jackson has interviewed include Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

, Hillary Clinton, Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra is an Indian medical doctor, public speaker, and writer on subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine. Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine. Chopra now runs his own medical center, with a focus on...

, Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier

Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...

 and Iyanla Vanzant

Iyanla Vanzant

Iyanla Vanzant is an inspirational speaker, New Thought spiritual teacher, author, and television personality. She is known primarily for her books, for her eponymous talk show, and for her frequent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on Oprah's Lifeclass webcasts.Vanzant was born in...

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