Sharif Street

Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Street is the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and the nephew of former State Senator Milton Street.[5] His mother, Helen Moose-Street, worked as a Philadelphia School District teacher for over thirty years and building representative in the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. [6] Street graduated from Central High School in 1992 as the Student Body President and Captain of the Championship Track and Field and Cross Country Teams.[7] Street attended Morehouse College on academic and athletic scholarships. While attending Morehouse, Street served as President of the Student Senate and Vice President of Student Government Association.[8] In 1996, Street became the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion and record holder in the Men’s Steeplechase. [9] After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, Street received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1999.[10] In law school, he served as the president of the Penn Law Democrats.[11] He is a member of The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.[12][13][14][15][16]

In 1998, before graduating from law school, Street was elected as the Democratic Committee Person for the 47th ward 3rd division.[17] Two years later, in 2000, Street was elected as a Democratic State Committee Member.[18] Throughout the early 2000s, as “an upcoming political player”, Street was known for his cultural pride and long locks.[19] In 2004, Street was elected as Delegate in the Democratic National Convention committed to John Kerry for President.[20]

Unsuccessful Elections

Prior to his election for State Senate, Street ran for office three times unsuccessfully.[21] In 2002, Street challenged long-time politician Frank Oliver and campaigned for drug and alcohol recovering funding in the 195th district.[22] In 2007, Street was announced as one of the five winners in a crowded primary for Philadelphia city council at large.[23] However after all the votes were tallied, Street lost the primary election by less than 1%, coming in sixth place, while his uncle Milton Street finished with 1.47% of the vote in seventeenth.[24]

As a student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Street directed a Town Watch group in Philadelphia. He has continued to serve the community in numerous positions, starting Philadelphia Green Communities and Urban Solution, serving as managing director of the Housing Association of Delaware Valley, serving on the board of the North Central Philadelphia Empowerment Zone's Housing Trust Fund, the North Central Empowerment Zone's Community Advisory Committees for Housing, Crime and Public Safety, and Economic Development, and current member of Philadelphia's African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs Commission. He also served as Chief Legislative Advisor to the Democratic Chair of the Housing and Urban Development Committee, Senator Shirley Kitchen.[25]

Street practiced law at WolfBlock from 2001 to 2009.[26] During which, he worked with public housing authorities across the country, in Atlanta, DC, Baltimore, and Jersey, to develop thousands of housing units.[27] In 2010, Sharif joined the law firm of Zarium Baum.[28] While at Zarium Baum, Street served as counsel to the Philadelphia Masjid in a Board of Directors dispute.[29] Ultimately Street won this case in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.[30]

While practicing law, Sharif remained involved in the community. From its founding in 2000 to his swearing in 2017, Street served on the Grands as Parents Advisory Board, supporting who grandparents were forced to raise their grandchildren due to violence and other circumstances.[31] As Chairman of the Board of the One Day at Time drug and alcohol recovery program, Sharif helped serve the homeless and drug affected populations in Philadelphia.[32]

Sharif has been a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity incorporated since 2005.[33] Street joined the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 2012, serving in numerous positions such as Worship Master from 2019-2020, and is now a past master.[34]

• Sharif Street for Senate