Valerie P. Foushee - Speaking about her faith, church, and family

This interview is in association with the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s Life History Series. Senator Valerie Foushee, born May 7th 1956 is a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church. She began attending First Baptist at the age of two when her grandmother would bring her and her siblings to church as their parents worked. She met her husband and the majority of her loved ones at the church, because it has been a focal point of her life spiritually and socially. Her children are also members of the First Baptist congregation and attend on a regular basis as she did as children. She reflects on this in the time transcribed. Valerie reflects on how being a part of the First Baptist community shaped her as an individual, not just as a spiritual center but as a social and educational community center. She reveals that that is where she was first introduced to parliamentary procedure, which influenced her future career as a North Carolina State Senator. She concludes this portion with the discussion of how her faith sustained both her and her family through troubled and painful periods and how she and her husband and long time friend use prayer in their lives.