Reggie Harris Biography
Musician/songwriter, storyteller, song leader, educator b. 1952
"Many times the weight of the world crashes in... we feel broken and betrayed. We start to lose our sense of hope. But though our history remains, it's our actions we must change... if we hope to heal our planet we must stand... in the shelter of each other."
Born in Pennsylvania in 1952, Reggie Harris was raised by his mother and grandmother in Philadelphia’s inner city where they were usually in need of money, had to do without a lot, and received second-hand clothes. Religious, ethical human beings, his mother and grandmother instilled in Reggie the importance of treating people with love and respect. His family was not unaware of politics and the demonstrations and unrest that existed in most American communities in the 1950s and ‘60s, and neither the church he grew up in nor his household was involved in a visceral way in the movement. Despite this, Reggie watched the news and civil rights events such as the March on Washington (1963) and protests in the south. The Church of Reverend Leon Sullivan, author of the Sullivan Principles which demanded the equal treatment of employees regardless of their race both within and outside of the workplace, was only blocks away from Reggie’s home. Seeing what members of this Church and others were actively doing regarding integration and equality struggles was influential in developing his social conscience. The paths Reggie chose to follow have lead him to a life of social activism, to ‘stand in the shelter’ with others.
Reggie often found himself in situations which were outside his comfort zone. While attending schools away from his neighborhood, he realized that many of the people in his ‘hood’ had little connection to the paths of wealth and power that influenced society. By listening and observing, he became intensely aware that Blacks were at a great disadvantage in the larger world. Reggie learned how economics and class often transcended racism when even some Black kids considered him undesirable for dating or socializing because he lived in the Projects. Thus he spent much of his high school time not admitting to his actual home address, sickened by the feelings he held inside. Of that period he writes:
"I felt very much alone and at odds in my efforts to negotiate the school terrain. When the school had a race riot in my junior year, I realized that I had friends of all races and that people, on all sides, some who had both animosity and respect for me as a person who tried to reach out to others for who they were and not how they looked. That was the first time that I began to realize that I was a bridge builder.I also had many incidents in my life in and just after high school, where I found myself betrayed by “friends” and acquaintances who, when push came to shove, decided that our friendship mattered less than not being exposed in their community or families. These were very hurtful episodes that convinced me of the depth and intensity to which racism pervades our society and our relationships."
After beginning ministerial studies in his first year of college in Atlanta, Reggie dropped out. During that time his sense of the world was dramatically reshaped by intense personal reflection and daily exposure to the realities of segregation and racial inequities in the deep South. Returning to Philadelphia, he took a job working with emotionally challenged children, where he also met two men who were Conscientious Objectors of the war in Vietnam. One of them gave him a daily course in ‘Life and Politics 101,’ challenging his views and political stance and helping him stand up to the injustices he was beginning to see. While at this job Reggie was introduced to and became consumed by the guitar. He took a summer job at a camp outside of Philadelphia where, in 1974, he met and was in constant contact with Kim Richards, an equally optimistic soul who, like Reggie, moved within varying communities of race, religion and personal interests.
The duo continued their friendship that fall at TempleUniversity. As their personal relationship deepened, they began combining their voices and Reggie’s acoustic guitar playing in performances at local Philadelphia clubs and coffeehouses. As Reggie says, “It was a relationship that supported two kindred and in some ways battered souls in a healing, inspiring way. Our singing and stage presence had an effect on people beyond just being entertaining. It was as if our hopeful brokenness opened audiences to a greater sense of connection to and discovery of their heritage.” Married in 1976, Kim and Reggie began a touring schedule in 1980 that still averages more than 200 yearly appearances. Early in their tours they experienced a reaction to their skin color and sought training from the National Coalition Building Institute to gain knowledge and skills to use whenever the question of their ‘Blackness’ arose.
Writing and performing songs separately, together, and with other musicians for over thirty years, the Harrises have put forth positive messages on stages from Italy to Alaska to the Virgin Islands, in classrooms, churches, and auditoriums across America, on eleven albums and compilations. The show they developed about the Underground Railroad continues to educate people of all ages that “America has a long history of standing together to turn back the forces that oppress and divide.”
Reggie and Kim Harris’ mission is to tell the stories and sing the songs about the legacy of race and racism in this country and to teach people that they have the spirit , courage and decency to rise above it and heal. Reggie says that through this work they continue to, "... bridge the gaps between those on the left and right...between the unaware and the true believers...between the oppressed and the oppressors and to provide a basis for dialogue and reconciliation.”
