Joshua Harris-Till is a community advocate, organizer, and public servant whose work is driven by experience and grounded in purpose.

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He began his journey in public service as a college intern in the office of Congressman Dan Boren. That early experience gave him a firsthand look at how government can shape people’s lives for better or worse. After his internship, Joshua stayed politically active and involved in advocacy and organizing, but he also took on the most important role of his life at the time: caring for his mother during her multi-year battle with cancer. Even in her final days, she was the one comforting others, making sure they were okay and reminding everyone around her what strength and selflessness truly looked like. She took care of everyone, even from her deathbed. That same heart for people lived in Joshua, instilled by her example. When she died in 2017, she left him not just with grief, but with purpose. He moved to Oklahoma City with a renewed sense of purpose to improve the lives of families like his own.

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But his journey had already been marked by tragedy. In 2013, Joshua lost his sister in a mass shooting. That moment changed everything. What had started as civic involvement became a mission. His grief turned into a lifelong fight for safe and responsible gun ownership, not driven by partisanship but by the lived experience of a family shattered and a commitment to protect others from the same pain. Years later, after the murder of George Floyd, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt appointed Joshua to the city’s police oversight advisory board. He stepped into that role with a focus on rebuilding trust and ensuring accountability, not just in response to a national moment, but because communities here have long needed honest, respectful conversations about justice and safety.

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Shortly after arriving in Oklahoma City, Joshua served as a legislative assistant at the State Capitol during the historic teacher walkout. Standing with educators was a powerful moment, but it also taught him that organizing alone isn’t enough. Change requires more than energy. It takes experience, strategy, and the foresight to detail not just what needs to change, but how to make it happen.

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In 2020, Joshua experienced another loss when his father passed away after a battle with dementia. Like so many veterans, his father faced complex health challenges after serving this country. Watching him navigate those struggles deepened Joshua’s conviction that we must do more for our soldiers when they come home. Not just with words of gratitude, but with real support: access to quality care, help for invisible wounds, and serious solutions to veteran homelessness. If we genuinely value their sacrifice, we need to show it in how we take care of them.

In 2022, when the candidate most expected to run for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District had to withdraw, the race risked going uncontested. Joshua was asked to step up, and he did. Not because it was easy, but because the people deserved a choice and Oklahoma deserved someone willing to fight for it.

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In 2023, the birth of his daughter shifted his focus even further. With new responsibilities around parenting and childcare, every issue became more personal. Joshua began thinking more intentionally about healthcare access, education funding, and what real community safety looks like, not just for today, but for the future she would grow up in.

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In 2024, that purpose showed up in action. Thanks to his national network, Joshua was called on to support strategic efforts in key states across the country. His connections didn’t just help others. They brought insight and resources back to Oklahoma. That momentum carried into 2025, when he helped elect his longtime friend Ken Martin as Chair of the Democratic National Committee and welcomed Governor J.B. Pritzker to the state. Joshua also shares his talents with national organizations, such as the Groundwork Project, founded by Joe Kennedy III, and the World Youth Group, ensuring Oklahoma has a seat at every table and a voice in every room.

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What motivates that kind of long-term, tireless commitment? For Joshua, the answer is rooted in family. He is a cousin of Emmett Till. Carrying that legacy means carrying a responsibility to make things better. He travels the country sharing Emmett’s story, not just to honor his family, but to stay grounded in the work for justice and to ensure we never relive the failures of our past. That legacy reminds him every day what’s at stake and fuels his work with humility, urgency, and hope.

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To top off this chapter of an already remarkable journey, Joshua Harris-Till is once again stepping forward to serve the people. He is running for State Representative in House District 85. Not for recognition. Not for power. But because the people of this district deserve a fighter who’s walked beside them, learned from loss, led with love, and won’t stop until real change takes root.