Year Honored: 2001

Birth: 1936 -

Biography

Marian L. Harris was the founder and volunteer executive director of the drug recovery program, ‘House of Pride.’ The first-of-its kind in Delaware program focuses on a holistic approach to recovery, with an emphasis on former-addicts giving back to their communities. Harris operated the program out of the basement of her home for nearly 15 years, networking with other recovery programs and using her own resources to help individuals succeed in the program, while she worked to convince public officials that the concept was a success. Harris defined success as “former residents who returned to gainful employment, reunited with family, and began helping others in similar situations regain their lives.”

Harris also formed a task force focusing on eliminating drugs in her community. She and the task force were credited with ending a notorious drug trafficking operation. “[Harris] united the community behind these efforts, but it was her boldness, courage, and perseverance that led to the success of the project.”

Harris was also involved in a number of Black organizations. She was President of the NAACP; helped to found the Progressive Black Women’s Organization, the goal of which was to help motivate women to be more self-reliant and to seek educational opportunities; and was one of the organizers of the Kent County Black Coalition.
For her work, Harris has been awarded the Point of Light Award from President George Bush; the Volunteerism Award from Governor Thomas R. Carper; the Delaware State Bar Associations Liberty Bell Award; and Sears Roebuck Co.’s Citizen of the Year Award.
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Sources and Additional Readings

Delaware Commission for Women. (2006). Twenty-Fifth Anniversary: Hall of Fame of Delaware Women: The Legacy Endures.