Charles E. Lewis Jr. is a political social worker. The son of a Brooklyn pastor, he officially began his social work career at the age of 42 when he decided to return to school for his MSW. “Before returning to school in 1992, I facilitated a weekly fellowship at Saint Paul Community Baptist Church where I worked with a large group of African American males who, like me, found our way back to church to get our lives back on track,” he says.
Lewis planned to earn his master’s degree and return to the church. However, in school, “I got bitten by the policy bug,” he says. His passion for policy practice was cemented when he began teaching at Howard University School of Social Work. Lewis had by then earned his PhD in Planning and Policy Analysis. “I loved teaching research, data analysis, and policy courses. I believe social workers bring unique perspectives to the policy and political arenas.”
At one point, Lewis even planned to leave social work for politics. He had been working on the Hill as deputy chief of staff and communications director for former U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns, D-NY. Though he was frustrated by many aspects of the work, he also found inspiration and motivation. But then, “I met the late Nancy A. Humphreys, who introduced me to the idea of being a political social worker,” he says.
In 2012, Lewis founded the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP), a nonpartisan organization that he describes as a complement to the mission of the Congressional Social Work Caucus—a caucus he helped found in 2010 with Towns.
“CRISP is a political social work advocacy organization,” says Lewis, who serves as its director. “We conduct briefings on legislation impacting key issues. We teach social work students how to be more effective advocates and storytellers.”
Lewis was inducted into the Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and elected to its board of directors and nominating committee. He says he will be launching a podcast soon and also is working on a book.
Outside of work, Lewis loves spending time with his family, which includes children, grandchildren and a great-grandson. He also enjoys sports, chess, writing and music. “A part of every day is spent with music,” he says.
Looking back on his career, Lewis says he can’t help but look forward as well, noting “The best is yet to come.”