Amaar Zarrieff 
It’s out with the old and in with the new with the election of Hakeem Jeffries to lead the House Democratic Caucus, the first Black person to do so in the history of the United States government. Jeffries will be replacing former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The election of a young (compared to 82-year-old Pelosi) Black man to one of the highest positions in Congress is a step in the right direction for the betterment of U.S. political institutions. Here are some fast facts about Jeffries:
Fast Facts:
- Jeffries was born on August 4, 1970, in Crown Heights, New York, NY, to Laneda and Marland Jeffries.
- His mother, Laneda was a social worker and his father, Marland was a substance abuse counselor.
- He graduated from Midwood High School in 1988, which is an extremely selective school located in Brooklyn, NY.
- He then went on to attend Binghamton University where he became a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (a historically Black fraternity).
- Jeffries received his Master of Public Police degree from Georgetown University in 1994.
- He received a Juris Doctor degree at NYU School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and delivered a speech at his convocation.
- Jeffries served as chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the fifth-ranking Democrat in the House, since 2019.
- Jeffries was a House manager who presented Trump’s impeachment case in 2020, leading to his first impeachment.
- Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Jeffries (a social worker), and they have two children together.
- After his election, Jeffries said that he hopes to “lead an effort that centers our communication strategy around the messaging principle that values unite, issues divide.”
By Amaar Zarrieff, Freshman, Howard University
Instagram: amaar.fz
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