Meet Kouri Marshall, who is running for Congress in Chicago (IL-07).
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Meet Kouri Marshall
Growing up in Illinois, Kouri Marshall was raised in a single-parent household in a neighborhood that was riddled with poverty and violence. Kouri witnessed firsthand the stifling economic impact that living in a struggling community could have on a family. But he also witnessed the fruits that unvarnished determination could yield through watching his mom work low-wage jobs – which later enabled her to purchase their family home in a middle-class neighborhood. He believes her story is too rare in America and that it is the role of the government to help empower those seeking to escape the clenching grips of poverty.
Driven by the pursuit of possibility, Kouri attended Eureka College – President Ronald Reagan’s alma mater – where he was elected as the first African American Homecoming King in the 150-year history of the college. He studied communications and philosophy so that he could one day advocate for folks who live in communities similar to the one he grew up in.
During the 2012 cycle, Kouri worked for President Obama’s re-election campaign as the District of Columbia State Director. And in 2015, he was appointed as the Executive Director of Democratic GAIN, a progressive political association with 42,000 members. Through hard work and dedication, Kouri carved a path for himself working as an advocate for social and economic justice and fighting for equal opportunities and fair representation for all.
Inspired by the spirit of giving, Kouri hosted annual holiday toy drives for low-income children in D.C.. This would later be the catalyst for toy drives in Chicago and laid the foundation for ChiGivesBack, Inc., which started as a toy drive and has blossomed into generating over $2.5 million dollars in resources for low-income families living in the Chicago area. Kouri also served in the executive office of Governor JB Pritzker, working on a range of issues including diversifying state agencies and facilitating the appointments process.