Kasim Reed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kasim Reed
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Reed in 2011
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| 59th Mayor of Atlanta | |
| In office January 3, 2010 – January 2, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Shirley Franklin |
| Succeeded by | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Member of the Georgia Senate from the 35th district |
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| In office January 13, 2003 – September 1, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Donzella James |
| Succeeded by | Donzella James |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 52nd district |
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| In office January 11, 1999 – January 13, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Henrietta Canty |
| Succeeded by | Fran Millar |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mohammed Kasim Reed
June 10, 1969 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Howard University (AB, JD) |
Mohammed Kasim Reed (born June 10, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 59th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is Georgia's state capital and largest city. Reed was mayor from 2010 to 2018.
He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, Reed was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. He also represented the 35th District in the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2009. In 2001, he helped Shirley Franklin win her campaign to become Atlanta's mayor. After Franklin finished her terms, Reed successfully ran for mayor in 2009. He was elected for a second term in 2013.
In 2014, Reed married Sarah-Elizabeth Langford. They had a daughter two months later. In 2021, Reed tried to become mayor again in the 2021 election. He finished third and did not make it to the final round of voting.
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Early Life and School Years
Kasim Reed was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. His family moved to Fulton County, Georgia, when he was a baby. His family was part of the United Methodist Church. His father had thought about becoming a Muslim and named his son Mohammed Kasim. This surprised his minister grandfather.
Reed went to Utoy Springs Elementary School and Westwood High School in Fulton County. This high school is now called Westlake High School. DNA tests show that he is a descendant of the Igbo people from Nigeria.
College Days at Howard University
Reed attended Howard University in Washington, D.C.. He earned a degree in political science in 1991.
In 1989, students at Howard University protested. They were upset that Republican National Committee Chairman Lee Atwater was on the university's board. Reed did not agree with the protest. He thought it was good for the Republican Party to try to get votes from Black students. He felt it would have been better if Atwater had met with the students.
Reed was an early entrepreneur. By 1989, he had earned $40,000 from a jewelry business he started at age sixteen. In 1990, he was asked to talk about the Persian Gulf War on a TV show called MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. He was also featured in Black Enterprise magazine that year.
While in college, Reed worked as an intern for Congressman Joseph Patrick Kennedy II. He learned about a federal program that would match money donated to the university. As a student leader, he helped create a $15-per-semester student fee. This fee would be matched by the federal grant. The money was meant for the university's special fund, called an endowment. This plan was expected to add about $2.4 million to the endowment over four years.
Reed earned his law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1995. In 2002, he became the youngest general trustee on Howard's board of trustees. He still serves on that board today.
Becoming a Lawyer
After finishing law school, Reed joined a law firm called Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. Later, he became a partner at another international law firm, Holland & Knight LLP. Both firms have offices in Atlanta.
Political Journey
Serving in the Georgia House of Representatives
In 1998, Henrietta Canty left her seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. Seven people ran to take her place. Reed won the first round of voting. He then won the final election in August 1998. He ran without anyone opposing him in the main election and won the seat.
Reed ran for re-election in 2000. He won by a large amount. In the House, he represented an area in south Atlanta where most people were African-American. He worked on committees for law, education, and how voting districts are drawn.
In 2001, Reed was the campaign manager for Shirley Franklin. She successfully ran to become the 58th mayor of Atlanta. After she won, Franklin chose Reed to help lead her team. His job was to find and review people for important government jobs.
Serving in the Georgia State Senate
In 2002, State Senator Donzella James left her seat. Reed ran for election in the 35th Georgia State Senate District. This district included parts of Fulton County and Douglas County. Reed won the election in August 2002. He then ran without anyone opposing him in the main election.
In 2004, Donzella James tried to win her old seat back from Reed. But Reed won the election. He also ran without anyone opposing him in his elections in 2006 and 2008.
In 2006, Reed helped pass a bill about teaching the Bible in schools. This bill allowed schools to teach about the Bible's influence. It was a way to prevent other ideas, like displaying the Ten Commandments, in schools. The bill passed easily and became law.
Reed worked on several important committees in the Senate. These included the Judiciary Committee and the Transportation Committee. He also served as the vice-chairman of the Georgia Senate Democratic group.
Becoming Mayor of Atlanta
In 2008, Reed started looking into running for mayor of Atlanta. The current mayor, Shirley Franklin, could not run again because of term limits. Reed announced his plans to run in March 2008.
On September 1, 2009, Reed left his job in the Georgia Senate to focus on his mayoral campaign. In the November 3, 2009, election, no candidate won more than half the votes. This meant there had to be a second election, called a runoff, on December 1. Reed ran against Mary Norwood.
The election was very close. After a recount, Reed was declared the winner by only 714 votes. Mary Norwood then accepted the results. Reed officially became mayor on January 4, 2010.
A famous writer, Thomas Friedman, praised Reed in The New York Times. He said Reed did a good job balancing the city's money. Reed limited the retirement payments for city workers. This money was then used for the police force and community centers in poorer neighborhoods. Friedman called Reed a leader who was "combining a soft touch with a hard head."
Reed announced he would run for re-election as mayor on August 26, 2013. He was elected for a second term on November 5, 2013.
Important Decisions and Policies
The Georgia State Flag
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Since the 1990s, the official State Flag of Georgia caused a lot of discussion. This was because it included a part of the historic Confederate flag from the American Civil War. Some people felt this symbol represented old ideas.
After changes were made to the flag in 2001, the Governor of Georgia, Roy Barnes, lost his re-election. Many thought this was because of the flag changes. The 1956 version of the flag, with the Confederate States of America battle symbol, was a constant topic of debate.
Reed played a key role in the discussions that led to the current (2003) version of the state flag. He worked with other lawmakers to make sure the controversial 1956 flag version was not part of a statewide vote. This helped to settle the long-running debate about the flag.
Investing in Transportation
Reed, along with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, strongly supported a plan to fund transportation projects. This plan would have added a 1% local sales tax for ten years. The money would have been used for roads, bridges, and other transportation improvements.
Reed believed that passing this plan would create jobs and reduce traffic in Atlanta. He said that not passing it would hurt Atlanta's economy. However, the plan was defeated in a public vote. Reed said he would work with those who opposed the plan to find a new way to ease traffic.
Awards and Special Recognition
Kasim Reed's leadership has been recognized across the country. He has been featured in newspapers like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The New York Times. He has also appeared in magazines such as Ebony and Black Enterprise.
In 2001, Georgia Trend magazine named him one of their "40 under 40 Rising Stars." He was also named one of "10 Outstanding Atlantans." In 2011, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Oglethorpe University.
In 2017, the Atlanta Hawks basketball team honored Reed by retiring the jersey number 59. This was to recognize his involvement with the team during his time as mayor.
See also
- List of mayors of the largest 50 US cities
