Ruthzee Louijeune facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruthzee Louijeune
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Louijeune in 2022
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| President of the Boston City Council | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Flynn |
| Member of the Boston City Council at-large | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Annissa Essaibi George |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1987 (age 37–38) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (JD, MPA) |
Ruthzee Louijeune (born 1987) is an American politician and lawyer. She is currently the president of the Boston City Council. She has been a member of the Boston City Council since January 2022. In January 2024, she became the council's president. She is the first person of Haitian-American background to serve on the council.
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Early Life and Education
Ruthzee Louijeune's parents came to the United States from Haiti. She grew up in the Hyde Park and Mattapan areas of Boston.
She went to Charles H. Taylor Elementary School. In 2004, she graduated from Boston Latin School. While in high school, she worked as an intern for State Representative Marie St. Fleur. This was part of a special program called the Ward Fellowship.
After high school, Louijeune moved to New York City. She studied at Columbia University and earned her first degree in 2008. Later, she moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she attended Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School. She earned two more degrees in 2014: a master's degree in public policy (which is about how governments make decisions) and a law degree (called a Juris Doctor). While at Harvard Law School, she helped people with legal problems at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.
Legal Work and Community Service
Ruthzee Louijeune worked as a lawyer for a company called Perkins Coie. She also served as a senior legal advisor for Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign in 2020. Many people saw her as a close helper and student of Senator Warren.
Louijeune also started her own company, Opening PLLC. This company helps people with legal advice and supports important causes. They work to help people in Boston buy their own homes, especially those who are buying for the first time.
She has volunteered with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance. In this role, she helps people with low incomes in housing court. She works to prevent people from being evicted from their homes. She also helps more people become homeowners. She is known as someone who strongly supports affordable housing.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Louijeune volunteered with Guild Works. She helped deliver food to people in the Dorchester neighborhood who needed it.
Boston City Council
First Term as Councilor
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Ruthzee Louijeune was elected to the Boston City Council in November 2021. It was her first time running for office. She did very well, finishing third in the city-wide election. She became the first Haitian-American person to serve on the council. Her election showed the growing influence of the Haitian community in Boston politics. She officially started her job in January 2022.
In her first term, Louijeune led the Civil Rights Committee. She also helped lead the Housing and Community Development Committee.
In June 2022, the Boston City Council passed a resolution she helped create. This resolution apologized for the city's past role in the Atlantic slave trade.
Louijeune also suggested a rule to control beekeeping in the city. She played a big part in trying to get a pay raise for city council members. Mayor Michelle Wu did not approve the full 20% raise, but supported a smaller 11% increase.
She also worked with another councilor, Kendra Lara. They proposed a resolution to increase the number of affordable homes in new buildings. They wanted to raise the requirement from 13% to 20%. They also wanted to apply this rule to smaller buildings.
In late 2022, Louijeune supported allowing immigrants with legal status to vote in city elections. Many cities in the U.S. already have similar rules. In December 2023, she voted to approve a plan that would allow this in Boston.
In April 2023, the council supported a resolution she helped introduce. This resolution showed support for medical residents and fellows at Mass General Brigham who wanted to form a trade union.
When a court ruled that Boston needed a new City Council district map, Louijeune was put in charge. She led the process of drawing the new map very quickly. Her leadership helped the city adopt a new map in time for the 2023 elections. This showed her strong leadership skills. Many people in Boston politics saw her as a "rising star" because of this.
Second Term and Council Presidency
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In the 2023 Boston City Council election, Ruthzee Louijeune received the most votes. This meant she was re-elected for her second term. Soon after the election, she announced that she had enough support to become the next council president. On January 1, 2024, the new council voted to elect her as their president. The vote was unanimous, meaning everyone agreed.
Her election as council president was a big moment for Boston’s Haitian community. It happened on Haitian Independence Day, which made it even more special.
Louijeune was a delegate at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. She supported Kamala Harris for president. In September, when false rumors were spread about a Haitian community, Louijeune spoke out against them. She also joined a protest to show her disagreement.
In 2024, Boston magazine called her "Boston's brightest rising political star." They also put her on their list of the "Most Influential Bostonians."
Personal Life
Ruthzee Louijeune lives in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston. She speaks English, French, and Haitian Creole fluently. She can also have conversations in Spanish.
Images for kids
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L–R: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Louijeune at a 2022 Juneteenth event
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Louijeune (left) with Governor Maura Healey during the 2023 South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade
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Louijeune with Senator Ed Markey
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Louijeune (right) walks alongside Mayor Wu and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio during the 2024 South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade
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While attending the 2024 South Boston St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, Louijeune poses for a photograph with Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (both dressed in costumes for a Dunkin'-related skit) and Mayor Michelle Wu
