Changing Our Narrative
By: Michael Reel
Several days following the Jan. 6 attack and insurrection on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, Darryn Harris, Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressional Member Karen Bass, spoke exclusively with Reel Urban News about surviving the insurrection and his much talked about Facebook Live post made for family, friends and constituents while in hiding in the Capitol. Rep. Bass joined in our conversation about the important role Harris plays in her office.
“At the time I was in shock this was happening in the US Capitol. You thought there would be someone to stop what was going on but no one was really stepping in to stop the insurrection. In my lifetime I thought I’d never see civilians storming the Capitol steps and have an act of insurrection on that day. I never thought I’d see the President of the United States encourage folks to interfere with its own government.”
And interfere with the US government as we knew it is what the Trump administration was expert at. “President Barack Obama ensured the government worked for folks unlike President Trump; he didn’t believe in government,” stated Harris. “He [Trump] went in with the sole purpose of dismantling the government cube by cube, office by office and agency by agency.”
Before stepping into the role of Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Karen Bass, young politico Harris was based in Ms. Bass’ Southern California office.
“Darryn Harris was the Director of my district office in Los Angeles.” Ms. Bass said. “I had a very sudden crisis in DC and Darryn came to DC to attend an event and I literally had to ask him on the spot: ‘Can you move to DC?’ and he said, ‘Sure, when? I said, ‘Today’ and he said, ‘Yes.’”
Rep. Bass and Harris have traveled the length and breadth of the nation advocating for those persons who are often overlooked and marginalized. Bass spoke passionately while describing how significant Harris is to her congressional staff and team.
“The Chief of Staff is the one who keeps everything functioning—the member cannot do that,” Rep. Bass explained. “I have to focus on my part of the job; my office would not be able to function if I did not have a very strong Chief of Staff.”
Re-elected to her sixth term representing the 37th Congressional District in Nov. 2020, Ms. Bass shared the number one quality required to serve in the capacity of Chief of Staff. “You really need to have somebody you have complete one hundred percent trust in and I absolutely trust Darryn Harris.”
Raised in the Watts community of Los Angeles, Harris credits his parents and discussions held around the dinner table for igniting his passion for public service.
“Your folks tell you about police brutality all of the time—these were images you never saw on television because they didn’t exist,” said Harris. “I remember when the Rodney King footage was found and I remember my family and neighbors saying, finally we got the evidence. But here we are many years later and we’re still tackling the same issues. This has always been a part of my world view.”
In the closing moments of our conversation Harris, who spoke exclusively with Michael Reel of Reel Urban News, assured us that his political career is just getting started and that he has promises to keep and miles to go before he sleeps. “I’m using this opportunity to deepen the issues that I care so much about: criminal justice reform, working within the child welfare area and I have personal issues around student loan debt reform. That’s what’s next for me.”
