Faculty Profile: Yusuf Hakeem

Yusuf Hakeem is the Tennessee State House Representative of District 28. He has honorably served the constituents of Hamilton County for more than 40 years and is passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of the citizens of Hamilton County. He has previously served on the City of Chattanooga School Board; the Chattanooga City Council; Tennessee Board of Parole and most recently as a member of the Tennessee State House of Representatives. Some of Rep. Hakeem’s most notable achievements include passing “Ban the Box” legislation as a Chattanooga City Council Member. This law requires employers to remove criminal-history questions from employment applications. He also successfully led an effort to have a disparity study completed within the City of Chattanooga, creating a pathway for minority companies to have more opportunities to do business with the City, and facilitated a partnership with Inspire Workforce Development, a local non-profit, to provide soft skills training for residents seeking employment. Rep. Hakeem counts being a member of the Mayor's Education Alliance; the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Planning Commission Zoning Board; a Task Force Chairman of the Tennessee Municipal League's Telecommunications Committee; the Chattanooga Police Foundation Inc.; the Tennessee Municipal League and TML Strategic Planning Steering Committee for East Tennessee cities; the transition team for Governor Phil Bredesen; the TN State House Commerce and Ethics committees; the NAACP and a member of Operation Push among the number of committees, non-profits and organizations for which he has had the privilege of providing service. In addition, Representative Hakeem is a sitting member of the United States Advisory for Trade Commission. 

Rep. Hakeem is also a Deacon at Second Missionary Baptist Church, where he is also actively involved with the pastor and congregation. As a State Representative, Hakeem was named Deputy Whip for the State Democratic Caucus in the 111th General Assembly. He also sponsored legislation to maintain the integrity of the election process in House Bill 888, requiring anyone serving as an Election Commissioner who has an immediate family member running for elected office in an election in which he/she is presiding to recuse himself/herself from the post at least 30- days before the election. Rep. Hakeem attended the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga where he studied Criminal Justice and Economics. He also attended Chattanooga State Technical Community College completing a certification in electronics. Rep. Hakeem continues to champion initiatives that foster equality and justice and advocates for the needs of some of our most vulnerable populations. He maintains a strong conviction that the government should work for the people. Committing his voice to ensure that all people have fair and equal representation, Rep. Hakeem believes that having the ability to access healthy food, quality healthcare, gainful employment, affordable housing and obtaining an overall quality of life that sustains the individual and their family should be available to all.