Valerie Jarrett was born in Iran.
Valerie Jarrett’s parents: James Edward Bowman, MD, FASCP, FCAP (February 5, 1923 – September 28, 2011) was an American physician who was internationally renowned as a specialist in pathology, hematology, and genetics. He was a professor of pathology and genetics at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.
James Edward Bowman was born on February 5, 1923, in Washington, D.C., the son of Dorothy (Peterson), a homemaker, and James Edward Bowman, Sr., a dentist. He attended Dunbar High School. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Howard University in 1943 and 1946.
Barbara Taylor Bowman (born October 30, 1928) is an American early childhood education expert/advocate, professor, and author. Her areas of expertise include early childhood care/education, educational equity for minority and low-income children, as well as intergenerational family support and roles. She has served on several boards and was the co-founder of Erikson Institute, where she pioneered the teaching of early childhood education and administration.
Bowman was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Her grandfather was architect Robert Robinson Taylor, and her parents were Laura Dorothy Vaughn (née Jennings) and Robert Rochon Taylor, who was on the board of the Chicago Housing Authority. After receiving a B.A. degree from Sarah Lawrence College, she began teaching at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools’ nursery school, while simultaneously earning her M.A. degree in education from the University of Chicago in 1952.