Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Cedric Richmond was elected to the state legislature at age 26. He moved on to a U.S. congressional seat in 2011, eventually joining the House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees and becoming chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. After co-chairing Joe Biden's successful 2020 presidential campaign, Richmond was appointed senior adviser to the president-elect and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Cedric Levon Richmond was born in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. Enduring the death of his father when he was just 7 years old, Richmond credits his mother, Maple, and the recreational coaches at a local playground with providing firm guidance. Richmond became a multi-sport star at Benjamin Franklin High School and continued playing baseball at Morehouse College, earning his B.A. in 1995. He went on to attend Tulane University School of Law and complete the Harvard University Executive Education Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.