Marqueece Harris-Dawson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marqueece Harris-Dawson
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Dawson in 2024
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| President of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| Assumed office September 20, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Krekorian |
| President pro tempore of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office June 20, 2023 – September 20, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Curren Price |
| Succeeded by | Bob Blumenfield |
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 8th district |
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| Assumed office July 1, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Bernard Parks |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 7, 1969 Los Angeles, California U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) |
Marqueece L. Harris-Dawson (born November 7, 1969) is an American politician. He is currently the president of the Los Angeles City Council. He started this important role on September 20, 2024. Mr. Harris-Dawson is a member of the Democratic Party. He has represented the 8th district of the Los Angeles City Council since 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Marqueece Harris-Dawson grew up in South Los Angeles. He was raised in the Black church community. He went to Morehouse College and studied Political Science and Mathematics. He also has a special certificate in Nonprofit Management from Stanford. He is an Aspen Institute Pahara Fellow.
Political Career
Serving on the Los Angeles City Council
In 2015, Marqueece Harris-Dawson was elected to the Los Angeles City Council. He represents the Eighth District. This area is home to over 248,000 people. It includes many African-American and Latino families. He won his first election with 62% of the votes. In 2020, he ran for re-election without anyone running against him. In 2024, he won again with 78% of the votes.
After the 2020 George Floyd Uprisings, Mr. Harris-Dawson supported changes to how money was spent. He helped move $150 million from the LAPD budget. This money went to community programs instead. His district received $4.2 million. This helped 57 local organizations in South LA. He also suggested new police reform ideas. One idea was to have mental health experts respond to crises. Another was to have unarmed staff handle traffic stops.
Key Achievements as Councilmember
Early in his time as a Councilmember, Mr. Harris-Dawson created Proposition HHH. This was a plan to spend $1.2 billion on housing for people experiencing homelessness. It was the largest investment of its kind in the nation.
He has worked on many policies to help people. These policies aim to end homelessness and create good jobs. They also focus on keeping streets clean and improving community policing. He has brought in $1.7 billion in funding. This money helps improve streets and neighborhoods in South LA.
Public safety reform is also very important to him. After the 2020 protests, he helped introduce new laws. These laws called for police reform. They included ideas for unarmed crisis response and unarmed traffic enforcement.
Destination Crenshaw Project
When a new Metro train line was planned, it would go above ground. This could have divided the Crenshaw Corridor. Mr. Harris-Dawson saw this as a chance for economic growth. He imagined a special place dedicated to African-American history in Los Angeles.
This idea led to Destination Crenshaw. It is a 1.3-mile outdoor art museum. It runs along the boulevard. It shows art from famous Los Angeles artists. The art tells the story of the African American experience in Los Angeles.
Community Safety Partnership
Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson has been a big supporter of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). This program works to make neighborhoods safer. It brings together community members and law enforcement. CSP started as a small program to help a recreation center. Now, it is a permanent part of the LAPD and Los Angeles.
CSP includes gang intervention and prevention workers. These workers offer programs for everyone in the community. This includes young people and seniors. This approach has changed neighborhoods a lot. For example, in Harvard Park, homicides have stopped. Violent crime has gone down by almost 50% in five years.
Mr. Harris-Dawson's leadership has helped the program grow. He focuses on building good relationships between police and the community. The program has been praised for reducing crime. It has also improved how police and residents get along.
However, some people have criticized CSP. They say that expanding CSP gives more money to the police. They believe this money should go to other community services instead. Critics also say that many residents still do not trust the police.
Despite these concerns, Mr. Harris-Dawson believes in CSP. He sees it as part of a bigger plan to improve public safety. He works to get funding to help South LA. This includes supporting crime prevention through partnerships. These partnerships are with law enforcement, community groups, and social services. The goal is to create safe, thriving neighborhoods.
Responding to Council Issues
In 2022, there was a scandal involving some Los Angeles City Council members. Mr. Harris-Dawson quickly took action. He suggested removing the council president from her role. He also called for removing three council members from their committees. He wanted them to be officially criticized.
He also pushed for a change to the city's rules. He wants an independent group to draw council district lines. This would make the process fairer. Voters will decide on this idea in November 2024.
Leadership Roles
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In 2023, the person serving as council president pro tempore left their job. The council chose Mr. Harris-Dawson to take their place. He was elected unanimously.
In June 2024, Mr. Harris-Dawson was again elected unanimously. This time, he was chosen to be the Council President. He started this role on September 20, 2024.
In January 2025, Mr. Harris-Dawson served as acting-mayor. This happened during the January 2025 Southern California wildfires. He filled in for Mayor Karen Bass, who was away on a diplomatic trip.
Awards and Recognition
Councilmember Harris-Dawson has received many awards for his work. These include:
- Do Something "BRICK" Award
- The Wellness Foundation Sabbatical Award
- NAACP Man of Valor Award
- Durfee Foundation's Stanton Fellowship
- Liberty Hill Foundation's Upton Sinclair Award
- InnerCity Struggle Esteban E. Torres Award
- The YMCA Community Champion Award
He also served on the board of the Liberty Hill Foundation.
Personal Life
Mr. Harris-Dawson lives in South Los Angeles with his wife, Karrie. Besides his work in public service, he loves history and music. He has also been a vegetarian for a long time.
