Hakeem Jeffries

The Rodney King verdict was a turning point for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D). 

“It was a moment that crystallized for me that there’s still a lot of work that needed to be done in America,” he says. 

Jeffries is devoted to three things: reforming the criminal justice system, the 8th Congressional District of New York, and his family. Oh, and fried fish. 

“I try to eat fried fish at least once a week,” he says, admitting it’s not the healthiest choice. “It’s something that is hard for me to resist.”

Jeffries burns those calories by playing sports with his two teenage sons, and he also enjoys some pretty highbrow cinema.

“Superhero movies are a particularly popular genre in the Jeffries household,” he laughs.

The New York native appreciates the diversity of his hometown. 

“I don’t have to travel the world,” he says. “The world is in the 8th Congressional District.”

— Ashley Perks