Valerie Foushee

Valerie Foushee was born and raised in Orange County, North Carolina. She attended segregated schools until the sixth grade. Foushee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and African-American studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008. For 21 years, she worked as an administrator for the Chapel Hill Police Department. Her career in public service began in 1997 when she was elected to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. She later served on the Orange County Board of Commissioners, becoming the first African American woman to chair the board. In 2012, she was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives and was appointed to the North Carolina Senate in 2013. In 2022, Foushee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first woman and first African American to represent the 4th District.