Birth Name: Valerie June Bowman
Place of Birth: Shiraz, Iran
Date of Birth: November 14, 1956
Ethnicity: African-American, smaller amounts of Creole (French and African), Scottish, and Native American
Valerie Jarrett is an American attorney, businessperson, and civic leader. She was Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, and Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, both from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017.
Valerie was born in Shiraz, Iran, to American parents, James E. Bowman (James Edward Bowman), a physician, and Barbara (Taylor) Bowman, an early childhood education expert/advocate, author, and professor.
Valerie’s parents were/are both black. In the program Finding Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. it was found, through both DNA testing and genealogical research, that she also has smaller amounts of Creole (French and African), Scottish, and Native American heritage.
Valerie has a daughter with her former husband, late medical professional William Jarrett.
Valerie’s paternal grandfather was James Edward Bowman (the son of William Henry Bowman and Mary E.). William was the son of Nelson Bowman.
Valerie’s paternal grandmother was and Dorothy Peterson (the daughter of George Lee Peterson and Mildred Waddy). George was the son of Lee Peterson and Laura Tyler.
Valerie’s maternal grandfather was Robert Rochon Taylor (the son of Robert Robinson Taylor and Beatrice Francis Rochon). Valerie’s great-grandfather Robert was an architect, who was the first accredited African-American architect, and was also the first African-American student enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 1888; he was the son of Henry Taylor and Emily Still. Beatrice was the daughter of Victor Narcisse Rochon and Leonora.
Valerie’s maternal grandmother was Laura Dorothy Vaughn Jennings (the daughter of Neros Jennings and Laura Smith). Valerie’s great-grandmother Laura was the daughter of Ella Vaughn.
A DNA test taken by the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2014) stated that Valerie’s genetic ancestry is:
*49% European
——–approx. *28% Irish and Scottish
——–*16% Scandinavia
——–*3% Western Europe
——–*2% Ashkenazi Jewish
*46% Sub-Saharan African
——–*24% Nigeria
——–*8% Congo
——–*6% Ivory Coast and Ghana
——–*5% Senegal
——–*2% Southeastern Bantu
——–*1% Benin and Togo
*5% Native American
Valerie had once stated that one of her great-grandfathers was Jewish. No Jewish ancestry has evidently been documented for Valerie Jarrett, and none of her great-grandfathers were Jewish (at least in the traditional sense). However, her DNA test result did state that she has 2% Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, which means she likely had a Jewish ancestor several more generations back.
Sources: Genealogies of Valerie Jarrett – http://www.geni.com
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Obituaries and genealogies of Valerie’s maternal great-grandparents, Robert Robinson Taylor and Beatrice Rochon – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Valerie’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Jean-Stéril Narcisse Rochon (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Photo by Prphotos.com
Tagged as:
African,
African American,
Ashkenazi Jewish,
Bantu,
Beninese,
Congolese,
Creole,
French,
Ghanaian,
ivorian,
Jewish,
Native American,
Nigerian,
Scottish,
Senegalese,
Togolese
