Valerie Jerome: Athlete, Educator, Activist
Recognizing Valerie Jerome for the impact she has had as an athlete, coach, educator, and community leader on the North Shore.
Recognizing Valerie Jerome for the impact she has had as an athlete, coach, educator, and community leader on the North Shore.
Valerie Jerome and Harry Jerome, Olympic sprinters from North Vancouver, August 20, 1960. Photo: NVMA 14862
By Chantal Gallant, Actor-Interpreter
“Jerome.”
Walking along the seawall in Stanley Park, you may come across a large statue of a runner, in mid sprint, bearing that name. This is Harry Jerome, Olympic medalist and iconic Canadian athlete. With ties to North Vancouver (he spent much of his childhood here) his legacy lives on through the naming of the local Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre.
But there is another Jerome, Valerie, who deserves recognition for the impact she has had as an athlete, coach, educator, and leader.
Sprinting into the athletic world at only fifteen years old, Valerie Jerome competed in the 1959 Canadian National Championships.
In 1959, she went to the Pan-American games (where she competed in long jump, high jump and placed third in the 4×100 relay), and then reached the ultimate Olympian status, competing in Rome for the 1960 summer Olympics.
Valerie’s athletic success was celebrated in North Vancouver–a block party was even held in her honour–but her family’s presence in North Vancouver was not always welcomed.
Discovering that a Black family would be moving into the neighbourhood, their new neighbours organized a petition, aiming to prevent the Jeromes from living there. The petition was not successful and the Jeromes stayed, but the exclusion and racism continued for the Jerome children at school. On their first day, Valerie and her siblings were met with rocks being thrown at them by the other kids.
After her athletic career, Valerie Jerome became an educator, and continues to talk to community groups to this day. Photo: ca. 2004, NVMA 14863
Even when a fire forced the Jeromes out of their house, no one opened up their homes to them. Valerie Jerome recalls seeing the blinds on the nearby houses flutter open and close. Other than a phone call to get the fire department on the scene, no one lent a helping hand. Instead of being welcomed in by their neighbours, the Jeromes with their young children, found safety in a local shelter.
Eventually, Valerie Jerome took off her track shoes and stepped into the classroom. She coached, and continued to share her and her brother Harry’s story.
Today, Valerie can be found giving lectures and talks to schools and community groups. She tells about their experience in athletics, about being the only Black athlete on the track, and a minority on the North Shore. She shares their trials and their triumphs, and keeps the Jerome story alive.
So next time you pass the Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre, or walk by his statue in Stanley Park, take a moment to reflect on Harry, but also on Valerie. Reflect on what she went through, what she achieved, and what we can learn from her story.
Recently, Actor-interpreter Taylor Williams shared Valerie Jerome’s story as part of MONOVA’s recently launched VR Voyage tour “MONOVA: Stories of Belonging on the North Shore.” Take a look.
If you’re curious to learn more about Valerie Jerome, you can explore the holdings in the Archives of North Vancouver for photographs. While you’re there, listen/read her oral history.
“MONOVA: Stories of Belonging on the North Shore” can be accessed on either The VR Voyage or by QR code when visiting the Museum of North Vancouver. The virtual tour costs $14.
Bring stories to life.
We rely on donations to preserve and share stories like Valerie Jerome’s. Your gift today will help MONOVA build learning experiences and inspire future generations.
Donate today through the Friends of the North Vancouver Museum & Archives Society, Registered Charity No. 89031 1772 RR0001.
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