Elaine Alexander oral history interview, April 14, 2010

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: AlexanderE_20100414

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Morna Gerrard: Elaine Alexander opens her oral history by discussing the impact of her male-dominated upbringing. She touches on how dyslexia affected her childhood, and on why she made the decision to attend Lesley College. She met her husband at the beginning of her college years, and she discusses her early married life and moving around military bases. After settling down, she had four children. Elaine talks about the impact her children had on her own life, focusing mainly on her daughter, Paige. Alexander’s political activism began with her work on political campaigns, particularly those of Elliott Levitas and Maynard Jackson. She describes her campaign work, then transitions into her time at Leadership Atlanta, both as a student and as the Co-Executive Director. Post Leadership Atlanta, Alexander highlights her work with numerous other organizations, including The Urban League, The Jewish/Black Sisters, the Bicentennial Commission, the Community Relations Commission, Resurgence Atlanta, the board for United Way, the board for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, and Inner Strength. During this, she tells how racism affected and motivated her, particularly during Maynard Jackson’s terms as Mayor. She also describes her struggle dealing with sexism during her time on the United Way Board. After briefly talking about being awarded the YWCA’s Woman of Achievement Award, Alexander closes her oral history by discussing her most recent political work, which was aiding the campaigns of both Shirley Franklin and Kasim Reed.

Dates

Creation: April 14, 2010

Creator

Alexander, Elaine, 1934- (Interviewee, Person)

Restriction on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Born in 1934 in Cambridge, MA, Elaine Alexander graduated from Lesley College with a BA in Education. She married Miles Alexander in 1955, and they have lived in Atlanta for close to 60 years. Alexander has served on numerous civic and Jewish boards and commissions. As well as serving as Executive Director of Leadership Atlanta from 1978-1992, she is a life board member of the American Jewish Committee and Southeast Region’s Anti-Defamation League, and she was a founding member of the Black/Jewish Coalition. She has also actively supported organizations that help women. She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Commission on the Status of Women from 1976-1979, and served on the board of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation from 1997-2004. She was also the founding president of Vote Choice / A Georgia PAC, and has long been an avid and vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood. Alexander has also served as vice chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, and has supported a number of political campaigns, including those of Maynard Jackson, John Lewis, Elliott Levitas, Michael Dukakis, Shirley Franklin and Kasim Reed. Among her many accomplishments, in 1985, Alexander was a recipient of the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, and in 2005, she received Planned Parenthood of Georgia’s Living Legend Award. The Anti-Defamation League has also honored her with their Community Service Award (1997), and in 2010, she received the American Jewish Committee Humanitarian Award.