From an esteemed civil rights leader and activist, to being one of the first Black Secretaries for HUD and hosting cable music shows. Patriciaharrise’s life story is one of courage, perseverance, and excellence.
Patricia Roberts Harris was born in Mattoon, Illinois on May 31st. Following the divorce of her parents when she was six, Patricia was mostly raised by her strong-willed mother and grandmother.
At Howard University, she joined her college chapter of the NAACP and organized one of the initial sit-ins. From there she went on to work for American Council on Human Rights before moving into government service at a law department specializing in civil rights law – where she met William Beasley Harris from Howard’s law faculty who would eventually win her heart and marry her.
Pat is also an exceptional vocalist with an intoxicatingly emotive voice that defies categorization. Her versatile repertoire covers opera, jazz, R&B and musical theater performances for orchestras like Cleveland Orchestra and Akron Symphony as well as Zurich Opera House in Switzerland – where she sang in front of Oprah Winfrey, President Bill Clinton and school children alike! Pat has appeared as a guest artist on shows like CNN Today Show or PBS news program The Washington Post – she even performed for Oprah Winfrey herself!