Vincent "Vince" Scott Morgan (born April 22, 1969) is an African-American Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives for the 15th Congressional District of New York. He announced his candidacy on October 12, 2009. The 15th Congressional District, the smallest in the country in geographic size, encompasses Upper Manhattan and includes Harlem, Spanish Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, Morningside Heights, and part of the Upper West Side, as well as a small portion of Queens in the neighborhood of Astoria. In 2002, Morgan served as the Campaign Director for Congressman Charles Rangel, the current representative for the 15th District.[1][2]
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Morgan was born on April 22, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the only child born to John Ford (b. May 3, 1942) and Sharon Morgan (b. January 30, 1951). His father had a brief relationship with his mother and abandoned them to return to his hometown in Memphis, TN before Vincent was born.[3] Morgan was raised by his single mother in Chicago's Bronzeville community. Morgan had a difficult upbringing and found school challenging. He was often bullied and chased home from school. As a result of these difficulties, he dropped out of high school at age 16. With the support of concerned adults, including his maternal grandmother and his mother, as well as his own sense of determination, he turned his life around.
After obtaining his GED, he went on to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. Morgan graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Illinois at Chicago and earned a Master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University, in New York.
Following college, Morgan went into public relations and spent three years in South Africa, working in marketing positions with Lucent Technologies and with a South African cellular phone company.[4] He eventually returned to the United States and moved to New York City. He serves as a vice president and community banking officer for TD Bank.[5] As manager of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance for the State of New York and Northern New Jersey, he is responsible for building partnerships in both corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
In 2001, he volunteered for service in the Harlem office of Congressman Charles B. Rangel. After his volunteer work, he was offered a staff position as special assistant to the Congressman. In 2002, he was appointed campaign director for the Congressman’s successful re-election.[6] l[7]
In 2007, Morgan created the Harlem NOW organization, a non-partisan group dedicated to mobilizing people to work together in solving grassroots issues.[8]
Morgan, is a 2012 candidate for Congress representing the 15th district in New York.[9]
Morgan has served in numerous leadership positions in New York. As chairman of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID), Vince championed revitalization efforts of one of the world’s most famous thoroughfares. He was instrumental in launching Harlem’s “Light It Up” campaign, which raised money to illuminate 125th Street for the 2010 holiday season. The campaign, a model for cooperation among the business, academic, non-profit and political communities in Northern Manhattan, garnered global attention.
Vince has served as a director on many boards, including The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, The Theatre of the Riverside Church, The Harlem Biennale, The International Leadership High School. He has also served on the advisory boards of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Alianza Dominicana. He is also a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy and the NYC Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Harlem.
Morgan is married to Shola Lynch, a documentary film maker who recently won a Peabody award for her film on Shirley Chisholm, the first female candidate for the office of the President of the United States of America.[10] They are the parents of two infant children, Julian and Violet, and attend the Cathedral of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.
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