Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and his wife, Sarah-Elizabeth Reed. (Instagram)
Sarah-Elizabeth Reed, 36, is married to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention. The couple have been married since 2014 and are the parents to daughter Marina, who was born the same year. Reed is a Howard University School of Law graduate and former Miss District of Columbia, competing in the Miss USA pageant.
Here’s a look at her life and career.
1. She Appeared on ‘Fear Factor’ the Same Year She Competed in Miss USA
Sarah-Elizabeth Reed and her daughter meet Hillary Clinton. (Instagram)
Reed was Miss District of Columbia 2005, but before the Miss USA pageant that year, she starred on NBC’s Fear Factor. During the episode, she competed against Miss New York 2005 Meaghan Jarensky and Miss Kentucky 2005 Kristen Johnson.
Reed had to make it through a small tunnel filled with syrup, fish and worms, she told Pageant Interviews. Another segment had her hanging from a cage, danigng under a helicopter over the ocean. “I was in shock and really didn’t know how I could ever do something that scary!! But it ended up being one of the most fun times of my life,” she said.
Reed won $25,000 on Fear Factor and donated the money to a youth mentoring charity, Atlanta Magazine reports.
2. Her Husband Proposed to Her in the Bahamas
Atlanta’s First Family. (Instagram)
Reed and Kasim Reed were spotted together at a restaurant in the Ocean Club Resort in the Bahamas in 2014 and The Bahamas Press was the first to report that they got engaged there.
Andrea L. Boone, a friend of Reed’s who worked in the mayor’s office, told Access Atlanta that Reed is “perfect” for the role of Atlanta’s First Lady.
“She’s a diligent and dedicated servant. She has a passion for the least of these. She’s not a little trophy girl. She’s strong,” Boone said.
When Kasim Reed’s office confirmed that he was engaged, he also hinted that they were already expecting their first child, notes Atlanta Magazine. Maria was born in June 2014.
3. Her Father Was Arthur E. Langford Jr., a Reverend & State Senator
Kasim and Sarah-Elizabeth Reed with Bill Clinton. (Instagram)
Reed’s father was the late Rev. Arthur E. Langford Jr. of the Rush Memorial Congregational Church. He also served in the Georgia State Senate and was an Atlanta city councilman. He also started the United Youth Adult Conference, which runs the Arthur Langford, Jr. Teen Leadership Program.
“My dad was a state senator and a minister and my mom is an attorney and does community service. So I guess community service is in my blood,” Reed told Atlanta Parent. “I grew up campaigning with them and doing different projects in the community. When Kasim and I got married, it was just natural to want to use my life for service. Kasim is very similar. His family has also used their lives for a greater purpose. That’s one way we jelled well.”
4. Reed’s Education Includes a B.A. in French & Doctor of Law
According to Reed’s LinkedIn page, she has a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. After that, went to Howard University in Washington, D.C. to earn her J.D.
After graduation, she worked for the D.C. Office of General Counsel and then the National Church Residencies, which builds affordable homes.
“I enjoy my job and also feel like I am doing something that provides quality and affordable housing to one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations (senior citizens),” she told Pageant Interviews in 2005. “I feel very blessed to have had so many amazing opportunities in my life- such as all of my pageant experiences and working for National Church Residences (NCR), my current employer.”
She worked at that company for a decade and went into real estate consulting after their daughter was born. “I just have begun to explore getting back in a much stronger way into the work force. Of course, I’ll be even busier,” she told Atlanta Parent.
5. The Reeds Follow the ‘Attachment Parenting’ Style of Parenting, Taking Maria Everywhere
Sarah-Elizabeth Reed with Maria at a screening of The Peanuts Movie in 2015. (Getty)
In the Atlanta Parent interview, Reed said that she and her husband are followers of the Attachemnt Parenting style of parenting. They bring Maria everywhere they can.
“I think that’s worked really well for us — to bring Maria everywhere that it’s appropriate to bring her,” Reed explained. “Of course, it’s very hard for parents who work demanding jobs to do that, but where we can, that’s what we do. It’s been neat to carry her a lot in our arms and in those Baby Bjorn carriers you strap to your body. I think that’s helped Maria develop a strong sense of confidence and security. [Attachment Parenting] includes breast feeding and I’m so fortunate to have been able to breast feed for almost two years!”
Since the Reeds take Maria along, she met Hillary Clinton. ” She’s learned to shake hands and say hello to people and I think she feels like she’s a little politician,” Reed told Atlanta Parent.