Jeanne Oliver-Foster

Jeanne Oliver-Foster

New Bedford, MA, (?)

Educator

Jeanne Oliver-Foster was a teacher for 42 years. The highlight of Jeanne’s career was teaching songs and background information from eight regions of the world, including the Caribbean, West Africa (including Cabo Verde), Europe, South America, East Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa, and the Arctic Circle.

She was born in New Bedford and descends from Cape Verdeans. Her grandfather, Marcus Santos Sr., was born and died in Sal. He lived in the U.S. for about 20 years, and was a carpenter in the Town of Centerville, on Cape Cod, told Jeanne to Cape Verde & its Music – A Virtual Museum. “My grandmother, Mary Almeida Santos Lopes, was born in Sao Nicolau, and emigrated to Massachusetts when she was a teenager. She never returned to Cabo Verde”, she said.

Jeanne graduated from Bridgewater State University (BSU), in 1977, with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Music. She received a Master’s Degree in Communications/Media from Fitchburg State University in 2006, with a focus on film and video production for educational purposes. In 2019, she retired after 42 years of teaching.

In 1990, Jeanne was a Co-founder and inaugural President of the Afro American Alumni Association at BSU, which is celebrating more than 30 years on campus, supporting students of color with career networking. In recent years, Jeanne served as the Vice President of this organization, and continues to support the events and initiatives of BSU.

Jeanne celebrates African American, Cape Verdean, and Native American heritage, and has been an active member of the Massachusett-Ponkapoag Tribal Council for more than 40 years, including being a member of their Board of Directors for the past 20 years.