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Ken Harris (politician)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth N. Harris, Sr. a member of the Democratic Party
, was a candidate for Baltimore City Council
President. He served on the city council since 1999, representing Baltimore
's 4th Council District, until 2007. On September 20, 2008, Harris was shot and killed outside of a jazz club in northeast Baltimore.
and was MVP of their baseball team in 1981. Although Harris had been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
, he enrolled at Morgan State University to further his education. On August 25, 1985, Harris married the former Annette Barnes and from this union, Nicole and Kenneth Jr. were born.
After completing a B.S. in Business Administration at Morgan in 1989, Harris first worked for Care First Blue Cross/Blue Shield
. In 1997 he was hired as director of membership and business services for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and a few years later he was hired as an executive at Comcast
. Harris served as President of the Leith Walk Elementary School PTA
and coached in the Northwood Baseball League.
.
Harris fulfilled the following Committee Assignments:
, Baltimore City delegation chairman Curt Anderson
and the Baltimore Afro American newspaper
. Harris' campaign failed to gain traction, and he ultimately won 11 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, far behind Michael Sarbanes and incumbent and ultimate winner Stephanie Rawlings Blake
.
where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00 am.
On November 14, 2008, Baltimore City police announced the arrest of two suspects in the case.
More than 1,500 people, including Governor Martin O'Malley
, former Governor Robert Ehrlich
, Senator Ben Cardin
and Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger
, attended his funeral at the Murphy Fine Arts Building on the campus of Morgan State University
. All state of Maryland flags were flown at half-staff on the day of his funeral.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was a candidate for Baltimore City Council
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...
President. He served on the city council since 1999, representing Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's 4th Council District, until 2007. On September 20, 2008, Harris was shot and killed outside of a jazz club in northeast Baltimore.
Education and Early career
Ken Harris was born to Sylvia Harris, a single teenage mother in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore City. Growing up in a rough area, Ken saw first hand what a crime-ridden community looked like. He put all of his energy into school, learning at an early age that he didn't want to wind up in gangs or worse. Harris graduated from Dunbar Senior High SchoolPaul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.-History:Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier...
and was MVP of their baseball team in 1981. Although Harris had been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, he enrolled at Morgan State University to further his education. On August 25, 1985, Harris married the former Annette Barnes and from this union, Nicole and Kenneth Jr. were born.
After completing a B.S. in Business Administration at Morgan in 1989, Harris first worked for Care First Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
. In 1997 he was hired as director of membership and business services for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and a few years later he was hired as an executive at Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
. Harris served as President of the Leith Walk Elementary School PTA
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
and coached in the Northwood Baseball League.
Baltimore City Council
Harris was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1999. He represented the fourth district, located in North-Central Baltimore. In addition to his committee responsibilities, Harris was a frequent speaker at City Schools, delivering motivational speeches focused on what young people need to succeed. Harris established the "Bridge to Manhood" in 2005, a program that sends successful African-American men into City Schools to talk with boys about overcoming the odds. He was a leader on the Council to combat secondhand smoke through a citywide smoking banSmoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
.
Harris fulfilled the following Committee Assignments:
- Chaired the Education, Housing, Health, and Human Services Committee
- Member of the Land Use and Transportation Committee
- Chaired the Highways and Franchise Subcommittee
City Council President's race
Harris launched a campaign for President of the Baltimore City Council on January 29, 2007. Harris was endorsed by United States Senator Ben CardinBen Cardin
Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...
, Baltimore City delegation chairman Curt Anderson
Curt Anderson
Curtis Stovall Anderson is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. After serving 12...
and the Baltimore Afro American newspaper
Baltimore Afro-American
The Baltimore Afro-American, commonly known as The Afro, is a weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is the flagship newspaper of the Afro-American chain and the longest-running African-American family-owned newspaper in the United States.-History:The newspaper was founded in...
. Harris' campaign failed to gain traction, and he ultimately won 11 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, far behind Michael Sarbanes and incumbent and ultimate winner Stephanie Rawlings Blake
Stephanie Rawlings Blake
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is an American politician and 57th Mayor of the City of Baltimore. She is Baltimore's second female mayor. Rawlings-Blake succeeded Sheila Dixon as mayor of Baltimore when Dixon resigned due to a conviction for embezzlement.-Background:Rawlings-Blake was born in Baltimore,...
.
Death
On September 20, 2008, at approximately 1:45 in the morning, Harris was shot outside of the New Haven Lounge in northeast Baltimore City. Four men, with their faces covered and at least one of them armed with a hand gun, surprised Harris and the club's owner during an apparent robbery attempt at the club's front entrance. Harris was chased to his car by one of the men when the assailant shot through the window of Harris' Toyota, striking him in the chest. The men then robbed the club and fled out a back door leading to an alley behind the shopping center. Harris was taken to Johns Hopkins HospitalJohns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins...
where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2:00 am.
On November 14, 2008, Baltimore City police announced the arrest of two suspects in the case.
More than 1,500 people, including Governor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
, former Governor Robert Ehrlich
Robert Ehrlich
Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...
, Senator Ben Cardin
Ben Cardin
Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...
and Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger
Dutch Ruppersberger
Charles Albert "Dutch" Ruppersberger III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, attended his funeral at the Murphy Fine Arts Building on the campus of Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
. All state of Maryland flags were flown at half-staff on the day of his funeral.