A grounded, thoughtful, and inclusive leader, Ruthzee is working to bring our neighborhoods together where shared prosperity is the foundation of a just and equitable Boston. The daughter of working-class immigrants from Haiti, Ruthzee was born and raised in Mattapan and Hyde Park and attended Boston Public Schools. Her first job at 14 was as a walking tour guide with the youth organization MYTOWN, offering a people-centered history of Boston’s neighborhoods. Mayor Menino appointed her to a committee to redesign the student assignment process. As a Ward Fellow, she also interned for former State Representative Marie St. Fleur. 

Now, as an experienced lawyer, Ruthzee has practiced before Boston Housing Court representing families facing eviction and foreclosure, worked to elect progressive prosecutors around the country, and supported voting rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. She also served as the senior attorney on Senator Warren’s presidential campaign and drafted agreements netting millions of dollars for first-generation homeowners to help close the racial homeownership and wealth gaps with the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA).

As City Councilor At-Large, Ruthzee is fighting for affordable housing and homeownership, support for our immigrant communities, improved funding and teacher diversity at our schools, and using all the tools at the city’s disposal to address racial justice and equity. Her tenure is historic: she is the first Haitian American elected to represent Boston citywide. She is a graduate of Boston Public Schools, Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is trilingual with French and Haitian Creole and is conversant in Spanish.