Roxanne Jones
Roxanne Jones | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 1, 1985 – May 19, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Milton Street |
| Succeeded by | Shirley Kitchen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roxanne Harper May 3, 1928 South Carolina, United States |
| Died | May 19, 1996 (aged 68) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Parent(s) | Gilford Harper and Mary Beatrice Burton Harper |
| Occupation | Social justice activist and state legislator |
| Known for | The first African-American woman to serve in the Pennsylvania State Senate |
Roxanne H. Jones (May 3, 1928 – May 19, 1996) was an American social activist and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 3rd district from January 1, 1985 to May 19, 1996.
She was the first African-American woman to serve in the Pennsylvania State Senate and the second woman to serve in the Senate since Flora M. Vare in 1928.
In 1996, she was described by the Philadelphia Daily News as someone who, [i]n an era of despair ... always saw hope—never defeat." Ed Rendell, the mayor of Philadelphia at that time and later governor of Pennsylvania, called her the city's "leading advocate for the poor and most vulnerable citizens ... a non-stop energetic whirlwind who battled injustice with every ounce of energy she possessed."