There’s no Harlem without jazz, so fourth-generation Harlemite Jazz Reed represents her community wherever she goes. She’s stepped up to the task so far. At just age 26, Reed recently directed communications and constituent services for Harlem’s City Council District 9 and currently balances managing development and communications at the nonprofit Figure Skating In Harlem Inc. with running her own organization MoHo Dance.
And stepping up is what Reed does best. When her NYU Stern education didn’t open the doors she needed, dance did. Like many recent graduates of color at the time, she boasted the degree but lacked the professional network to land a relevant job out of college. Reed paid the bills by teaching praise dance at the Salvation Army. One student happened to be future councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan.
“I ended up…being an event manager for her campaign,” said Reed. “We ended up winning and then I was able to hop onto her office as director of constituent services, and then transferred over to director of communications, until I just recently changed my job and now I’m here at Figure Skating In Harlem Inc., which is an amazing nonprofit. A lot of my work is just very community-based. I love helping my community. I love helping the next generation.
“And that’s kind of where I want to continue going with my life—not only pursuing my own company, MoHo Dance, but just being in a space where my 9-to-5 is also reflective of my values and what I want to put out in the world.”
At Richardson Jordan’s office, Reed wanted her work to reflect the community it serves—her own community—so she brought in local residents who knew Harlem the best. That included former colleague Robert Jackson, who she initially met while working at the Salvation Army.
“Jazz Reed is an exceptional human being and a Christian that loves her community and young people,” said Jackson.
While directing constituent services, Reed assisted NYCHA residents with requesting repairs, putting together Know Your Rights workshops, and organizing financial literacy courses. She tapped into her Harlem roots to connect residents with relevant resources, regularly asking herself what City Council resources the average local, divorced from politics, could use but wasn’t aware of.
Today, her work at Figure Skating In Harlem Inc. allows her to help local youngsters break the ice, both literally and figuratively, in a predominantly white sport. Reed said it’s essential for them to see instructors and coaches who look like them. And it doesn’t hurt if the communications person does, too.
Off the clock, Reed’s work with MoHo Dance centers around “mental wellness through movement and the creative arts” through a culturally sensitive lens. She’s worked on this project since she was 18 years old, long before she knew teaching dance would lead her to working with a City Council member.
“I’m still doing it to this day, and it’s something that I want to do for the rest of my life,” said Reed. “It’s a big part of who I am and it shows my commitment to my community and to my people. No matter what my 9-to-5 [looks] like, I’m always going to be here in Harlem, repping for us and repping for what we need.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
She a great leader and a a awesome Mom and soon to be wife . I’m proud of her .
She a wife now and a beautiful human being.