Kenneth Reeves

Kenneth E. Reeves[1] (born 1951) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, from 1992 to 1995 and again from 2006 to 2007. Reeves is the first openly gay African-American man to have served as mayor of any city in the United States.[2]

For other people named Ken Reeves, see Ken Reeves (disambiguation).
Kenneth Reeves
Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts
In office
2006–2007
Preceded byMichael A. Sullivan
Succeeded byE. Denise Simmons
In office
1992–1995
Preceded byAlice Wolf
Succeeded bySheila Russell
Personal details
Born1951 (age 71–72)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materHarvard College (B.A.)
University of Michigan Law School (J.D.)
OccupationAttorney, politician

Personal life

Reeves was born to Jamaican parents in Detroit, Michigan.[3] Reeves attended Detroit's public schools, graduating from Cass Technical High School in 1968. After one year at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Reeves transferred to Harvard University. At Harvard, Reeves would meet his longtime partner, Gregory Johnson.[1]

Reeves earned his degree in American history and literature from Harvard 1973. In 1976, Reeves graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.[4]

In 1994, when rent control in Massachusetts was repealed, Reeves was still living in the same rent controlled apartment he first rented in the 1970s as a student at Harvard.[5]

Political career

Cambridge politics

Reeves was elected Mayor of Cambridge in January 1994.[6] Cambridge's elections are non-partisan, but he identifies himself with the Democratic Party. While mayor, he was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[7] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Reeves stopped paying the annual fee to the Massachusetts Bar in 1998 and therefore is suspended from practicing law. He stated that he does not see the logic in paying the Bar while he is not actively practicing law.[8]

Reeves was succeeded as mayor in 2008 by E. Denise Simmons, who became the first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the United States.

State politics

In the 2006 Massachusetts election, Reeves endorsed the gubernatorial campaign of Deval Patrick,[9] a "longtime friend" of Reeves.[9] Reeves additionally endorsed Tim Murray in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor.[10] In 2014, Reeves endorsed fellow Cambridge resident Leland Cheung's campaign for Lieutenant Governor.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Outside the Box | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  2. Carpenter, Brent Dorian (February 12, 2004). "HIZZONER! An Interview with Mayor Kenneth Reeves". PrideSource. Archived from the original on February 28, 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  3. "InfiniteMIT | Kenneth E. Reeves". infinite.mit.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  4. "The Honorable Kenneth e. Reeves's Biography".
  5. "'THE WEEK'". Vol. 46, no. 20. National Review. October 24, 1994. p. 10-24.
  6. "REEVES' CHANGE OF HEART? | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  7. "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members". Archived from the original on 2008-01-18. Retrieved on June 18, 2007
  8. "Reeves booted for not paying legal Bar tab - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle". Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
  9. "Deval Patrick reaches out to where the people are". www.baystate-banner.com. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  10. "Mayor Ken Reeves of Cambridge backs Tim Murray for LG | Blue Mass Group". bluemassgroup.com. 23 August 2006. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  11. "Democrat Leland Cheung's bid for lieutenant governor endorsed by several Cambridge officials". masslive. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
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