Chi Ossé | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theNew York City Council from the36th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Cornegy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chi Ajani Ossé (1998-03-18)March 18, 1998 (age 27) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America |
| Parent |
|
| Education | Chapman University (attended) |
| Website | Official website Campaign website at theWayback Machine (archived 2022-02-11) (archive) |
Chi Ajani Ossé (/tʃioʊˈseɪ/CHEE oh-SAY,[1] born March 18, 1998)[2] is an American politician and activist fromNew York City who serves as a member of theNew York City Council for the36th district, based largely in theBrooklyn neighborhood ofBedford–Stuyvesant, and some of northernCrown Heights.
Ossé was born and raised to aHaitian-American family inBrooklyn, where his family has lived for three generations.[3] His father,hip hop attorney and journalist Reggie Ossé, known professionally asCombat Jack, died from cancer in 2017, when Ossé was 19.[4] His mother, Akim Vann, is the daughter ofGrammy award-winning record producer and songwriter Teddy Vann, whose parents immigrated to New York fromHong Kong and the Caribbean.[2] He was raisedNichiren Buddhist.[5]
Ossé graduated fromFriends Seminary in 2016 and attendedChapman University inOrange, California, but dropped out following his father's death in 2017.[6][2]
Ossé worked for several years in the entertainment industry as apromoter.[6] In May 2020, amidnationwide protests over themurder of George Floyd, Ossé became a prominentBlack Lives Matter organizer and co-founded the activistcollective "Warriors in the Garden".[7] According to public statements, Ossé joined theDemocratic Socialists of America in 2020 but left shortly after as he felt his views and those of the organization's did not align.[8] Ossé rejoined theNew York City chapter in the summer of 2025, followingZohran Mamdani's victory in the2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary.[9]
Ossé rejected an offer to serve as a delegate forJoe Biden at the2024 Democratic National Convention, but ultimately elected to attend the event following the withdrawal of Biden, being granted a credential as one of approximately 200influencers at the DNC.[10]
OnJuneteenth 2020, Ossé announcedhis 2021 campaign to succeed term-limited CouncilmanRobert Cornegy in the36th district of theNew York City Council.[11] Ossé, who acknowledged that he knew little about city government before the protests of spring 2020, cited police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement as the impetus for his campaign, and charged that the City Council and MayorBill de Blasio had not done enough to reshape policing in the city.[12][13]
With endorsements from theWorking Families Party and CongresswomanAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Courage to ChangePAC, Ossé was seen as the furthest-left candidate in a field that also includeddistrict leader Henry Butler, local political operative Tahirah Moore, and pastor Robert Waterman.[14][15] His campaign also found an unusual niche due to Ossé's youth and personal style, with many non-political publications interviewing Ossé and running profiles of his campaign.[16][17][18]
On election night (June 22, 2021), Ossé led the field with 37 percent of the vote; whenabsentee ballots andranked-choice votes were counted, he defeated Butler 57-43%.[19] His victory, and the size of his margin, was seen as a considerable upset, given his opponents' more traditional political backgrounds and endorsements.[20] Ossé ran unopposed in the November general election, becoming the council's youngest ever member.[21][22]
Ossé filed to run inNew York's 8th congressional district againstHakeem Jeffries in November 2025, but did not win the endorsement of theNew York City Democratic Socialists of America.[23][24] Following the result, Ossé stated he would not run.[25]
Ossé's father wasReginald Ossé, a Haitian-American hip hop music attorney, executive, journalist, editor and podcaster. His mother, Akim Vann, owns and operates The Bakery on Bergen, a small business inProspect Heights, Brooklyn. His grandfather was Teddy Vann, a music producer who grew up in Brooklyn’sBensonhurst neighborhood and won a Grammy working with his longtime protegeLuther Vandross.[26]
Ossé is openlyqueer.[3] He lives inCrown Heights, and is a practicingNichiren Buddhist.[5]
