Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris

Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris was elected to the City Council in 2014 and is currently Deputy Majority Leader. Harris represents constituents of Ward 11, consisting of the upper South Providence and West End neighborhoods. She is the Chairwoman of the Housing Crisis Task Force and the Committee on Urban Redevelopment, Renewal, and Planning. She is also a member of the Committee on Ordinances and the Rules Committee. Harris is a member of the Providence Housing Authority and Providence Redevelopment Agency. 

While Councilwoman Harris was born in Shelby, North Carolina, she was raised in South Providence and is a graduate of Central High School. She holds an associate degree in Business Science from the Community College of Rhode Island.

For 15 years, Councilwoman Harris worked as the Lead Community Organizer for Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), building grassroots support for local projects promoting economic and social justice. 

She has been actively involved with several community groups including The Providence Youth Student Movement, the Rhode Island People’s Assembly, the Rosa Parks Human Rights Committee, and the Women of All Colors Assembly.

Councilwoman Harris has been the recipient of awards that acknowledge her dedication to the community, including the 2001 Ministers’ Alliance of RI Martin Luther King Jr. Direct Action Award and the 2012 Jobs with Justice Solidarity Award.

For more than 50 years, Councilwoman Harris has lived in the South Providence and West End neighborhoods. She is the proud mother of four grown children, has eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She is also an active member of the King’s Cathedral Church in Providence.