Getty Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries is a U.S. Representative for New York’s 8th Congressional District and is also one of the House Managers in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. He’s married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries and they have two children.
1. Hakeem Jeffries Is Married to Kennisandra Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries. Some supporters have called Hakeem and Kennisandra “the next Barack and Michelle Obama.”
@Kokomothegreat Omg LOVE him!! He’s fine.
His wife is adorable. They are the cutest couple! They are the #NextBarackAndMichelle
💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙
@RepJeffries
@BarackObama @MichelleObama
@DNC
For the most part, Kennisandra stays out of the spotlight. She rarely posts public statuses on social media or makes public interviews.
2. She’s a Social Worker with SEIU
Facebook
Kennisandra has worked as a social worker with 1199 SEIU’s Benefit Fund. According to a 2018 financial disclosure, Kennisandra received an income that year from Worksite Medical Service PC.
More Dem Frosh Congressman: Hakeem Jeffries (NY), me, and Stephen Horsford (NV) and our lovely Wives!!! At CBC Ball! http://t.co/stdXQefx
Once when visiting Beacon to talk to students, Hakeem Jeffries joked in 2018: “as aspiring politicians you understand that you always acknowledge your wife at the very beginning.” His wife Kennisandra was in the audience at the time, making his joke even funnier.
3. They Have Two Sons, Jeremiah & Joshua
FacebookHakeem and Kennisandra pictured above with friends in a public Facebook post.
Hakeem and Kennisandra have two sons: Jeremiah and Joshua. Jeremiah was born in 2001 and Joshua was born in 2004. Jeffries lives in Prospect Heights with his family, his bio notes. The Jeffries’ children also tend to stay out of the media spotlight.
4. Hakeem Jeffries’ Parents Worked in Social Work, Much Like His Wife
GettyHakeem Jeffries
Much like his wife’s career, Hakeem Jeffries’ parents were also involved in social work. His mother, Laneda Jeffries, was a social worker and his dad, Marland Jeffries, was a state substance abuse counselor. He grew up in Crown Heights and said his parents gave him his “public service spirit,” Ozy.com reported. According to his parents’ wedding announcement, Laneda (Gomes) Jeffries graduated from Central State University in Ohio and worked as a caseworker for the Williamsburg Welfare Center in Brooklyn when she was married. Marland Jeffries also graduated from Central State and was a caseworker in special services for the Department of Welfare.
With Hakeem Jeffries now focusing his political career on public service and helping others, he and his family seem to be following in their footsteps.
5. Hakeem Jeffries Once Said He Worried About His Son & Bad Apples in the Police
Hakeem Jeffries once told CNN in an interview that we aren’t in a post-racial America yet and he’s worried about his sons’ future. The interview was made in 2014 and at the time, his concerns weighed mostly on his older son who would be more likely to face interactions with the police.
In 2014, he said “I’ve got to worry every day about what can happen to him (his older son), not just from the robbers but from a bad apple on the police department… The overwhelming majority of New York police officers are to be commended for the great work they’ve done… But there are bad apples on the police force, and when you unleash them without consequence, you see the type of tragedy that results.”
His comments about worrying about his children were later made into a meme and shared extensively by people who supported his political concerns.