Dr. Oliver Davis, Jr. |
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Dr. Oliver Davis is a member of the Oakwood Academy Class of 1987. His political career was nurtured when he was a member of the Oakwood Academy Student Government (OCASA) starting in his 9th Grade year when his classmates elected him to be Class Senator. He then was elected the OCASA Vice President and in his senior year, he served as the President. From 1987-1998, Oliver served on the Huntsville City Council Youth Council. In 1988, the late Pastor E. C. Ward asked Oliver and the other youth elders of the Oakwood Church to represent the church in assisting in the Madison County (Alabama) Election of Dr. Prince Preyer. At Oakwood University, Oliver Davis served as a Senator in the United Student Movement (USM).
In 1992, Oliver Davis moved to South Bend, Indiana. During his 28 years of living in South Bend, Dr. Oliver Davis has worked hard to represent the people of South Bend and to speak out on the issues which helped to empower the lives of the people of South Bend. Dr. Davis served 12 years, three consecutive terms on the South Bend Common (City) Council, after first being elected in 2007. He also served nearly 16 years on the South Bend Public Transportation Board of Directors (TRANSPO), becoming the first African American to be President of the Transportation Board. On November 22, 2019, Dr. Oliver Davis endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States for the 2020 presidential election and has been a spokesperson for the Biden Team for President in various newspapers and on MSNBC – Politics Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton on November 24, 2019, and on MSNBC with Ali Velshi on November 27, 2019. Dr. Davis announced on January 29, 2020, that he will challenge incumbent Dave Thomas for the St. Joseph County (Indiana) Commissioner Dist. 2 seat in the 2020 Primary Election. On June 2, 2020, Dr. Oliver Davis was blessed to defeat Dave Thomas & won the St. Joseph Co. Commissioner Dist. 2 Democrat Primary & will face the Republican Challenger in the General Election on Nov. 3, 2020. Dr. Davis professional roots are grounded in social work in which he believes uniquely empowers him in advocating & speaking up for positive change in the lives of individuals, families, groups & communities. Dr. Davis is an adjunct professor in the Social Work & Gerontology Program at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN and an adjunct faculty member in the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work Program at Brandman University in Irvine, CA. Also, Dr. Davis is a school social worker in the South Bend Community School Corporation. Dr. Davis earned the Doctor of Social Work Degree from the University of Southern California School of Social Work in Los Angeles, CA. He completed the Professional Certificate in Management from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business in Notre Dame, IN & the Professional Certificate in Political Social Work from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He earned the Master of Social Work Degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH & earned the Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL. Dr. Davis, who is the third child & only son born to life-time educators Drs. Oliver (Sr.) & the late Ruth Davis of Huntsville, AL, is married to Lynda R. (Hodges) Davis, who is also an educator. They have two lovely daughters - Starr Davis & Kailyn Davis & two awesome sons – Geoff Simons & Marc Simons. The Davises have a sweet Chocolate Black Lab named Pepper Davis. Oliver loves to cook, to travel, to watch football & is a lover of history, particularly the history of the Presidents of the United States & the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Davis believes that "How We Walk with The Broken Speaks Louder than How We Sit With the Great!" |