George Greenidge

George R. Greenidge, Jr. is a Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at Georgia State University, where his current research focuses on the economic development of Black geographies and the impact of government displacement policies and gentrification on its residents and minority-owned businesses in urban cities. George received his BA in Political Science from Morehouse College and his master’s in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. He has worked as an Economic Fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and an Urban Fellow with the GSU College of Law’s Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth and the GSU’s Urban Institute.

George has served in several capacities throughout his career in the nonprofit, government, philanthropy, and education fields. In his capacity as a non-profit executive, academic, and consultant, George has also pursued diversified partnerships with national and local policymakers, foundations, high-wealth individuals, corporations, and non-profit leaders to support his positive community development work. His research focuses on the use of qualitative research methods in policy development and program evaluation.

He is also the Founding Executive Director of Greatest MINDS, a Boston-based BIPOC-run nonprofit focused on mentoring young people as they explore college, career, citizenry, and volunteerism as a way to bring about positive change in civil society.

⁠⁠George was recognized by the United Negro College Fund and the Boston Red Sox with their inaugural “Homecoming Award” for his life-long commitment to providing mentorship to over 10,000 high school and college students pursuing college degrees in Boston, MA, and Atlanta, GA.

In 2022, the American Sociological Association awarded him their inaugural Community and Urban Sociology Section’s Publicly Engaged Scholar Award for his convening and advocacy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programming efforts in urban communities/cities. In 2023, he was appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu as a member of the City of Boston Reparations Task Force to research the impact of 400 years of slavery and economic exclusion on the city and to issue recommendations to address the legacy of harm to its Black residents.

Last year, George was the keynote speaker for the Harvard University Affinity Celebration Honoring Black Graduates. He was picked by Harvard faculty, staff, and students for his outstanding work and vast experiences as an activist, a community leader, a thought leader, and his career of supporting graduates from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.