Reggie Harris (SSW’15) Elected to Cincinnati City Council
BU School of Social Work graduate Reginald “Reggie” Harris (SSW’15) was recently elected to the Cincinnati City Council following his first-ever political campaign. The third highest vote-getter in a large pool of thirty-five candidates, he will become one of six new city councilors.
Harris is a licensed independent clinical social worker who graduated from BUSSW’s On-Campus Master of Social Work (MSW) Program. He was raised in Chicago – a fourth-generation South Side resident – and moved to Ohio in 2015. According to colleague Colleen Dempsey, he didn’t waste time getting involved in his new community.
As an active member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) who has served as a trainer, advisor, and advocate for the organization, Harris “volunteered to serve as a board member for the Cincinnati area when he still had moving boxes in his new home,” says Dempsey. “He jumped right in, developing new partnerships in Cincinnati [and] connecting local politicians to our Chapter PAC.”
Harris’s victory in Cincinnati is a testament to his capacity for meeting others where they’re at, even in a city that Dempsey says is notoriously tough on outsiders. “Reggie has been the exception [because of] his incredible ability to forge connections.”
As a social worker, Harris is committed to using his political success to raise awareness about the role of social workers in addressing social, racial, and economic inequities. His colleague Crystal N. Dunivant, board president of the NASW Ohio Chapter, recalls his extensive community outreach efforts as region chair for the PACE committee. “[Harris] engaged local candidates while also holding them accountable, specifically around policies related to anti-racist practice, and economic and housing development.”
In addition to his advocacy work and leadership at NASW, Harris is board commissioner for the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority and precinct executive for the Hamilton County Democratic Party. Prior to becoming an elected official, he was director of community life, OH/MI, at The Community Builders, a nonprofit real estate development corporation with a mission to create and sustain strong communities. He also served as the board chair for Equality Ohio. Before pursuing social work, Harris had a ten-year career as a professional ballet dancer.
“I do a lot with my social work degree, which is one of the reasons I love being a social worker,” Harris says in a video posted by NASW’s Ohio Chapter.
Earlier this year, BUSSW awarded Harris the Hubie Jones Urban Social Work Award in honor of his practice and pursuit of the School’s urban mission.
To learn more about Reggie Harris (SSW’15), visit his website at reggieforcincinnati.com.