02/20/2026
In recognition of Black History Month, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. continues to recognize a few of its members' “Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor.”
Hakeem Sekou Jeffries (Mu Kappa 1989) is an attorney and politician who has served as House minority leader and leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
He earned a B.A. with honors from Binghamton University in 1992. He received a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University in 1994 and a J.D., magna cm laude, from New York University School of Law in 1997, serving on the Law Review.
After entering private practice, Jeffries became a corporate litigator for television companies. He was elected twice to the New York State Assembly, representing the 57th District, before assuming office in 2013 as U.S. Representative for New York’s 8th Congressional District.
A member of the Congressional Black Caucus, he co-sponsored major justice and public safety legislation and served as an impeachment manager in 2020. In 2018, he was elected chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and in 2022, House Democrats elected him party leader.
Kevin P. Scott
Grand Historian