Zulfat Suara

Last updated
Zulfat Suara
Zulfat Suara (1).jpg
At-Large Member of the
Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County
Assumed office
September 28, 2019
Personal details
Born Ibadan, Nigeria
Political party Democratic
Spouse
Rahaman Suara
​
(m. 1990)​
Children5
Education The Polytechnic, Ibadan

Zulfat Suara is a Nigerian-American activist, businesswoman, and politician. In September 2019, she became the first Muslim to be elected to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County [1] and the first immigrant elected to an at-large position. She is also the first Muslim woman elected in the State of Tennessee [2] [3] and the first Nigerian woman elected to any office in the United States. [4]

Contents

Early life, education, and career

Suara is originally from Ibadan, Nigeria. She was a head prefect of her high school and was Amira for the college and state chapters of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria. She graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy with High Honors (Upper Credit) from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. She came to the U.S. in 1993 when her husband was offered a fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

After moving to Tennessee, she earned her District of Columbia Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate in 1996 and her Tennessee State CPA License in 1999. For two years, she worked full-time as a CPA for KPMG in Nashville. [5] Suara later founded her own accounting firm that worked with several county governments across the West Tennessee region. She is the Executive Director of Grants & Contracts at Meharry Medical College. [6] [7]

Community involvement

Between 2009 and 2011, Suara served two terms as the State President of Business and Professional Women's Foundation (BPW). [8] From this role, she became the Tennessee Women’s Day on the Hill Chair for seven years, leading an annual event that allows women’s advocacy organizations to present directly to politicians in Tennessee. [9] Suara is also a board member of the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle TN, [10] a 2020 board member of Women Business Collaborative, and an annual speaker at the Tennessee Women’s March. [11] [12] In 2015, she was inducted into the Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame.

In 2004, Suara started the Hardeman County, Tennessee Chapter of Junior Achievement to improve educational opportunities and outcomes in rural Tennessee. [13] [14] As a result, she won the FBI Director Community Leadership Award in January 2016. [15] She serves as a board member of the PENCIL foundation in Nashville, TN. [16] She is a recipient of the National Education Association’s Mary Hatwood Futrell Human Rights Award (2020). [17]

Suara is also involved in the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC), an organization that was created as a response to the “anti-Shariah” bill in 2012. Beyond acting as a founder of the organization, she was Chair from 2012-2016 and 2018-2019, and in 2021 she was AMAC’s treasurer. [18] In 2018, the Islamic Society of North America recognized her as the ISNA Muslim Advocate of the year. [19]

Political career

Local politics

Suara first ran for office in 2014 as a candidate for the Hardeman County School Board. Her campaign designated her as the first Muslim woman to run for any office in the state of Tennessee. She ended the election with 41% of the vote against the chairman of the board. [20] In 2019, she launched her second campaign as a candidate for Nashville Metro Council. Promoting a “Nashville for All”, she pushed for the implementation of more fiscally responsible government practices, community-based budgeting, and improved access to quality education for the city’s youth.

During her campaign, Suara faced pushback due to her religion, even receiving death threats. [21] [22] With over 34 thousand votes, [23] she won the Metro Council seat and became the first Muslim woman elected in the State of Tennessee [24] [25] and the first Nigerian woman elected to any office in the United States. [26] She will serve on the Council until 2023.

In office, Suara has served as chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, Vice-chair of the Education Committee, and Member of the Budget/Finance, Audit, and Personnel/Public Relations committees. [27]

Following the death of Representative John Robert Lewis, Suara led an effort to honor the late congressman and highlight Nashville’s role in the civil rights movement. [28] Working with the minority caucus and other community leaders, she sponsored a city ordinance in November 2020 to rename Fifth Avenue from Jefferson Street to I-40 to Rep. John Lewis Way. The new name was officially adopted on the first anniversary of Rep. Lewis’ death. [29]

State and national politics

Suara serves as Treasurer of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC). [30] Prior to this role, she served as President-Elect of the Tennessee Women's Political Caucus. She also served as the Treasurer and Vice President of Political Planning for the organization at the state level.

In 2020, Suara was a member of the DNC Platform Committee, where she submitted an amendment regarding the treatment of international students that became part of the party’s national platform. She also served as the Tennessee State co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ Presidential Campaign in 2020. [31]

Testifying before the US House Sub-Committee

On March 1, 2022, Zulfat, along with other community leaders testified before the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties on the Discrimination and the Civil Rights of the Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American Communities. [32] Zulfat's written and oral testimonies highlighted the many incidents of discrimination in the Muslim community at the local, state, and federal levels. [33]

Personal life

Zulfat Suara married Dr. Rahaman Suara in 1990. They emigrated from Nigeria in 1993 and live with their five children in Nashville, TN. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsha Blackburn</span> American politician and businesswoman (born 1952)

Mary Marsha Blackburn is an American politician and businesswoman serving as the senior United States senator from Tennessee. Blackburn was first elected to the Senate in 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Blackburn was a state senator from 1999 to 2003 and represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2019, during which time the National Journal rated her among the House's most conservative members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee House of Representatives</span> Lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly

The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thelma Harper (politician)</span> American politician (1940–2021)

Thelma M. Harper was an American politician and the first African-American woman state senator in Tennessee and the longest-serving female state senator in Tennessee history. She was also the first African-American woman to serve as the chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee; she held that position during the 102nd, 103rd, 104th, and 105th General Assemblies, and she also served as vice chair of the Senate State and Local Government Committee during the 97th and 101st General Assemblies and the first senator to serve as chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Beavers</span> American politician and public servant

Mae Beavers is an American politician. A Republican, she was a member of the Tennessee Senate for the 17th district from 2003 until she resigned to run for governor in August 2017. The 17th district is composed of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, and Wilson counties. Prior to becoming a state senator, Beavers was a state representative in the 99th through the 102nd General Assemblies. She was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Tennessee in the 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Harwell</span> American politician (born 1957)

Beth Halteman Harwell is a member of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives. She served as State Representative for Nashville and is a former chair of the Tennessee Republican Party. First elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1988, Harwell served as a Republican Minority Whip and Commerce Committee chair before being elected to the Speakership. She is the first woman to serve as Tennessee's Speaker of the House. In 2017, she announced her candidacy for governor of Tennessee in the 2018 election.

Richard Glen Casada Jr. is an American politician, and a disgraced former Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, where he represented District 63 from 2003 to 2023. He was the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from January 8, 2019 through August 2, 2019, whereupon he resigned his post amid scandal. This was the shortest stint of a Tennessee Speaker of the House in modern history. Casada was previously the Majority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives. His opposition to Syrian refugees attracted national attention in the media in 2015.

The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus is the South's oldest civil rights organization dedicated solely to the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. It was founded in 1975, and is the largest LGBTQ political organization in the city of Houston and Harris County. It is known locally simply as "The Caucus". The Caucus is nonpartisan and endorses candidates on the basis of their support for LGBTQ rights, regardless of political party or candidate's sexual orientation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolores Delahanty</span>

Dolores Delahanty is a social activist and political leader in Louisville, Kentucky. She was a founding member of the National Women's Political Caucus during the early Civil Rights Movement, and she was critical to the success of Kentucky's Fair Credit Law. Delahanty has devoted her life to improving the lives of others, primarily those of Kentucky women and children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Tennessee</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Tennesseans face some legal challenges that non-LGBT Tennesseans do not. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in the state. Marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples in Tennessee since the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raumesh Akbari</span> American politician

Raumesh Aleza Akbari is an American politician and member of the Tennessee Senate for the 29th district since 2019. She was formerly a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 91st district. She currently serves as First Vice Chair of the Education Committee, and a member of the Commerce and Labor Committee, and the Ethics Subcommittee. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Ramirez-Rosa</span> American politician

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is an American politician. He has served as the Alderperson for Chicago's 35th Ward since May 18, 2015. He was first elected to the Council in 2015, become one of the chamber's youngest members ever elected at age 26. He was re-elected in 2019 and 2023.

The Tennessee Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to history of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of Tennessee

The 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican Governor Bill Haslam was term-limited, and is prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. Republican candidate Bill Lee was elected with 59.6% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee and former Nashville mayor Karl Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Beck</span> Canadian politician

Carla Beck is a Canadian politician who has served as leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party since 2022. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2016 provincial election. She represents the electoral district of Regina Lakeview.

Robin Smith is an American politician who served as the Representative for Tennessee's 26th state house district, beginning in 2018. She is a member of the Republican Party. In March 2022, she resigned and pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud.

Vincent Dixie is an American businessman, politician, and a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 54 since November 2018. Dixie is one of 32 freshman members of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly. He succeeded Brenda Gilmore after she was sworn into the Tennessee Senate.

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the nine U.S. representatives from the state of Tennessee, one from each of the state's nine congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.

Sonya McLaughlin Halpern is an American politician and former advertising sales executive, renowned for her commitment to economic and social innovation. As a State Senator for the Georgia State Senate representing the 39th district, she represents some of the most socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods of Atlanta, City of South Fulton, College Park, East Point, and Union City since her election in December 2020.

Josephine Anderson Pearson was an American anti-suffragette, educator, writer, and lecturer who lived and traveled throughout Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Nashville mayoral election</span> American election in Tennessee

The 2023 Nashville mayoral election took place on August 3, 2023, with a runoff on September 14 because no candidate surpassed 50% of the vote in the general election. It selected the next mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. Incumbent mayor John Cooper did not seek re-election to a second term in office. While mayoral elections in Nashville are officially nonpartisan, Cooper is a member of the Democratic Party.

References

  1. ↑ "Zulfat Suara becomes first Muslim elected to Nashville office, winning at-large Metro Council seat". Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
  2. ↑ "Zulfat Suara claims victory, becoming first Muslim elected to Nashville city government". Fox 17. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  3. ↑ "A Nigerian may become first Muslim lawmaker in American state". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  4. ↑ "Zulfat Suara For Metro Council At-Large – Nashville, TN". Zulfat Suara | Metro Council At-Large. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  5. ↑ "In 2001, friends and co-workers kept Zulfat Suara and her family from being hungry and homeless". Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  6. ↑ "Zulfat Suara". Linkedin. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  7. ↑ "Leadership Tennessee Announces New Class featuring Chamber Staff and Members". Nashville Area Chamber of Congress. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  8. ↑ "Hear what members have to say about BPW/TN". Business and Professional Women-TN. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  9. ↑ "The Contributor – Women's Day On The Hill Draws Crowd". The Next Door. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  10. ↑ "The Women's Fund Board". The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  11. ↑ "Estimated 15,000 come out for women's march 2.0". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  12. ↑ "Third annual statewide Women's March in Nashville this weekend". ClarksvilleNOW. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  13. ↑ "Tennessee Achiever" (PDF). Business and Professional Women-TN. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  14. ↑ "Zulfat Suara". National Women's Political Caucus. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  15. ↑ "Memphis-Zulfat Suara". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  16. ↑ "Our Leadership". PENCIL. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  17. ↑ "Nashville Councilwoman Zulfat Suara wins National Education Association civil rights award". Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  18. ↑ "Leadership". American Muslim Advisory Council. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  19. ↑ "Your Money at Work" (PDF). Islamic Society of North America. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  20. ↑ "County-by-county and state primary results". USA Today. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  21. ↑ "Council Candidate Tries to Ignore Her Anti-Muslim Harassers". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  22. ↑ "Muslim Advocates Condemns Anti-Muslim Harassment and Threats on Rashida Tlaib, Qasim Rashid & Zulfat Suara". Muslim Advocates. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  23. ↑ "Zulfat Suara". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  24. ↑ "Zulfat Suara claims victory, becoming first Muslim elected to Nashville city government". Fox17. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  25. ↑ "A Nigerian may become first Muslim lawmaker in American state". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  26. ↑ "Zulfat Suara For Metro Council At-Large – Nashville, TN". Zulfat Suara | Metro Council At-Large. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  27. ↑ "Metropolitan Council Committees". Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  28. ↑ "Nashville to host dedication to civil rights icon John Lewis". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  29. ↑ "Nashville renames prominent city street 'Rep. John Lewis Way' after late civil rights icon". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  30. ↑ "Zulfat Suara". National Women's Political Caucus. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  31. ↑ "Bernie Sanders Campaign Announces Co-Chairs Across All Super Tuesday States" . Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  32. ↑ "Discrimination and the Civil Rights of the Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American Communities | U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee". judiciary.house.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  33. ↑ Suara, Zulfat (2022-03-01). "Suara Testimony" (PDF). Judiciary.house.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  34. ↑ "Zulfat Suara". Zulfat Suara | Metro Council At-Large. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.