Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, M.Ed
Motto: "I don’t have any obstacles in my life—I turn all of them into stepping stones."
The Early Years: The Foundation for a Life of Service
Marcia Ranglin-Vassell is a wife, mother, high school teacher, neighbor, and lifelong advocate.
Born and raised in Bull Bay, Jamaica, a community ravaged by poverty and gun violence. She loves her “old community" and often returns to help those in need.
She received her formal education there and grew up in a loving, faith-centered home with her parents and eight siblings. She is the middle child of nine. In 2022, she lost her beloved sister Val, a Providence Public School teacher, to breast cancer.
Her father, who could not read or write, and her mother, forced to leave school in sixth grade to work as a domestic helper, modeled service and resilience. Their modest two-room board house became a refuge for homeless pregnant teens and others in need. Her father, who founded a preschool and turned their home into a school by day and a church by night, lived by the motto: "I’ve never met a stranger, only brothers and sisters." Marcia has honored that legacy every day of her life.
From an early age, Marcia knew she wanted to be a teacher. At six years old, while others played with dolls, she pretended to lead a classroom. Her passion for justice took root when, at age eleven, she befriended a classmate who was being bullied—a small act of kindness that left a lifelong impression. Despite the hardships of poverty and losing loved ones to gun violence, Marcia found strength in her faith, family, and community, and committed herself to a life of service and justice.
After high school, she spent a year in public service in some of Kingston's most violence-prone areas, developing social, economic, and educational programs under the guidance of a caring mentor. She went on to earn her Diploma in Elementary Education from St. Joseph's Teachers' College.
Pursuing Education and a New Life in Rhode Island
Marcia migrated to the U.S. in 1990, joining her mother and youngest sister in Providence. She settled in the Wanskuck neighborhood, where she raised her four children—all proud graduates of Providence Public Schools.
Transitions weren’t easy, but Marcia met every challenge with perseverance. While attending evening classes at Rhode Island College, she worked as a housekeeper at a senior high-rise home and the Hasbro Toy Factory. She also served as an Intake-Outreach Coordinator at the Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, providing emergency services, GED preparation, and health education classes to families, mostly women and children.
Marcia earned her bachelor's degree in Community Health Education and later worked at Women & Infants Hospital. She taught at the Bridge Alternative School for 14 years and is now a full-time Special Education English Inclusion teacher with the Providence School Department. For over 30 years, she has called the classroom her second home: "Teaching is not just my profession—it's my calling."
The Legacy Continues: Fighting for All of Us
Driven by Love, Delivering Change
Marcia's journey to the Rhode Island House of Representatives began in that same two-room home in Jamaica. She walked miles to school barefoot, often without lunch, but never without determination. That early hunger for education would one day lead her to the State House.
In 2016, moved by the tragic killing of a young basketball player in her community, Marcia ran for office. She believed deeply that children deserved to live, learn, and thrive—and that real change required courageous leadership. Elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives (2017–2023), she served on the Health and Education and Environment and Natural Resources Committees as well as the House Committee on Small Businesses.
Teaching by day and legislating by night, Marcia became a trusted voice for working families. She championed efforts to raise the minimum wage, expand maternal health care and access to doulas, reduce gun violence, and address the root causes of school pushout. She advocated for strong infrastructure, safe neighborhoods, and equitable access to education and opportunity for all.having experienced childhood hunger she is a powerful advocate for universal meals.
Drawing from her own experiences, she boldly centers the mental health needs of students and school staff through the landmark Trauma-Informed Schools Act, and helps to ensure all children have access to free, healthy school meals. Through legislative grants, she brought resources to her district—from funding youth programs at the DaVinci Center to new furnishings at the Wanskuck Library.
A Teacher’s Voice in the State House: Real Results, Real Impact
Marcia's lived experience and classroom perspective informed her policy making every step of the way. Her work led to:
● The Rhode Island Doula Reimbursement Act - requiring Medicaid and private insurance coverage for perinatal doula services.
● The Trauma-Informed Schools Act - I passed the groundbreaking Trauma-Informed Schools Act—embedding trauma-informed practices in every school so that educators have the tools and support they need to recognize, respond to, and heal from trauma—making our schools safer, more compassionate, and better equipped to help every child thrive.
● Legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour - I proudly championed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour—because no one working full time should live in poverty or having no place to call home
● Ending Lunch Shaming - No child should be humiliated or go hungry because their family can’t afford a school meal. I championed and passed legislation to end lunch shaming in our schools and ensure that every student has access to free, nutritious meals—because dignity and nourishment are not negotiable.
She also supported efforts to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change, always keeping the well-being of children and future generations at the forefront.
Not every bill became law, but every voice she represented was heard. Marcia’s leadership inspired students, neighbors, and everyday people to believe in their own power and purpose.
In Gratitude and Recognition
Marcia is married to Van Vassell. Together they have four adult children—Alethe, Van Jr., Eric, and Terrence—and two grandsons, Joseph and Elias. A born-again Christian, award-winning author, and poet, she is also the founder of the Global Fund to End Childhood Hunger and Poverty, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding children in need.
Her honors include:
RIBBA Change Agent Award (2019)
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families Legislative Champion Award (2022)
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Covering Kids Award (2022)
Adoption Rhode Island Children First and Always Award (2023)
Through every role—mother, grandmother, teacher, legislator, and advocate—Marcia remains grounded in faith and fueled by love. She loves to walk, cook, dance and love butterflies which she agrees is a metaphor for her own life.
Final Reflection
Rooted in faith, raised by love, and driven to serve—Marcia Ranglin-Vassell has dedicated her life to lifting others, turning struggle into purpose, and transforming compassion into action.
Join her in building a more just, loving, and hopeful world—one child, one family, one community at a time.
