The name Hakeem Jeffries will go down in history as the first-ever Black person in history to lead one of the two major parties in either chamber of Congress of the United States.
Hakeem Jeffries, who was the caucus chair, was chosen by the House Democrats to succeed the current leader Nancy Pelosi as the leader of Democrats in the chamber next year. Jeffries ran unopposed as a leader and the decision which marked this historic change was made behind closed doors in a meeting that took place on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning.
About Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem is known for being the American politician and attorney who has served as the U.S. representative for New York’s 6th congressional district. Since 2013, he had been in the same position. Hakeem, who is a member of the Democratic party, was born on August 4, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York. His mother Laneda Jeffries was a social worker and his father Marland Jeffries was a state substance-abuse counselor.
Hakeem spent most of his childhood in New York, as he grew up in Brooklyn Heights. He completed his formal; education at Midwood High School and later joined Binghamton University where he studied political science. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the college in 1992. He also holds a master of public policy degree from Georgetown University’s McCourt School.
Jeffries also attended the New York University Law of School, from which he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1997.
Hakeem Jeffries Political Career
Before stepping into the political scenario, Jeffries practiced law at different firms like Paul, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and Weiss. He also served as litigation counsel for firms such as Viacom Inc and also CBS.
The political career of Hakeem Jeffries started as early as the 2000s. Jeffries participated in the Democratic party primary election but in the election, Jeffries lost to the incumbent assemblyman Roger Green. It was in 2006 that Jeffries finally managed to be elected to the state assembly. He won the election from the 57th district of New York. He won against the Republican candidate Henry Weinstein.
The term he served in the state assembly made him even more popular as Jeffries introduced more than 70 bills in his term of six years. With the popularity and good name that he gained through his six-year tenure, he made his eventual run for the US Congress.
In 2012, Hakeem Jeffries resigned from the state assembly. According to one statement that he said, Washington was broken, Congress was dysfunctional and the people were suffering. He demanded that people deserved more. He was often described as the ‘Barack Obama of Brooklyn but Jeffries was not much fond of being addressed by that description.
Hakeem Jeffries rose to different positions throughout his political career. In 2018, Hakeem became the chair of the House Democratic Caucus after winning against California Congresswoman Barbara Lee. His tenure began in January 2019.
Jeffries also voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in 2019. Jeffries was also one of the seven House managers who presented the case against Donal Trump during his trial before the United States Senate.
Hakeem Jeffries is currently 52 years old while the current leader Nancy Pelosi is 82 years old. With Jeffries taking over the role as the party leader after Pelosi, she expressed the possible shift towards a younger generation in her farewell speech too.
Hakeem Jeffries Family And Personal Life
Hakeem Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas – Jeffries, who is currently a social worker. She works in close association with the 1199 SEIU’s Benefit fund. The establishment is a health care union in the United States. The exact date of their marriage is not available as of now. The couple has two sons from their marriage and had been together since their wedding.
Jeffries also has a brother named Hasan Kwame Jeffries. He works as an associate professor at Ohio State University. The book ‘Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt’ was written by Hasan.
Read More:-
Who Is Jerry Jones? Bio, Accolades, Controversies & More
