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Oye Owolewa
Born	18 November 1989 Roxbury, Massachusetts
Education	Northwestern University (Doctor of Pharmacy)
Occupation(s)	Politician (U.S. Representative for Washington D.C.), pharmacist
Years active	2014 - present
Known for	First Nigerian-American to be elected U.S. Representative
Political party	Democratic Party
Website	oye4dc.com

Adeoye Ibrahim Yakubu-Owolewa, known professionally as Oye Owolewa (born 18 November 1989) is a Nigerian-American politician, pharmacist, and member of the Democratic Party of the United States. On November 3, 2020, he was elected United States Representative for Washington D.C. (District of Columbia voters elect two shadow Senators and one shadow Representative. The shadow Representative, or shadow Congressperson, is recognized as equivalent to U.S. Representatives by the District of Columbia, but not by the U.S. government as an actual member of the House of Representatives. A shadow Representative was first elected in 1990).

Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Owolewa attended Boston Latin School and later earned a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) from Northeastern University's Bouvé College of Health Sciences. He moved to Washington D.C. in 2014 to begin his career as a community pharmacist, and entered local politics in 2018 as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.

Although not technically a member of Congress (as was widely reported in the Nigerian media), Owolewa nevertheless made history as the first Nigerian-American ever to hold the office of U.S. Representative.

Owolewa is an advocate for immigration reform, income equality, campaign finance reform, and universal health care. He is also committed to the cause of D.C. statehood, the cornerstone of his political platform, and an issue give fresh impetus by events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 2021.

Early life and education

Oye Owolewa was born on 18 November 1989 in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, Bolade Yakubu-Owolewa (nee Ajayi-Obe) is a civil engineer; his father, Ayo Yakubu-Owolewa is a medical technologist. The fourth of five children, Owolewa has a sister, Adebola, and three brothers Adebayo, Adeyemi and Sadik.

From kindergarten to 6th grade, Owolewa participated in the Boston METCO voluntary schools integration program. As one of his earliest memories, Owolewa counts being bused from Roxbury to the affluent neighborhood of Newton as a formative experience.

High school

In March 2005, Owolewa transferred to Boston Latin School, half-way through the academic year. In order to pass his classes, he had to study the day’s lesson as well as complete the first assignment that predated his arrival. For example, he had to complete the assignment for March 2nd, 2005 and September 14th, 2004. Despite this, he exceeded expectations by passing his final exams with honors.

While in high school Owolewa dedicated himself to community service. In 2006, he joined the Boston Student Advisory Council, a citywide body of elected school leaders representing Boston's public schools. He went on to serve as vice president, and later president. Owolewa also partnered with both Boston University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s National Society of Black Engineers to create a Boston Latin School Pre-College Initiative, serving as the group’s president from 2006 to 2008. Between 2007 and 2008, Owolewa served on the Boston Public School Committee as the alternative student representative. In 2008, he was one of a hundred students nationwide chosen to visit Washington D.C. and meet former Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer. It proved a momentous occasion. Overwhelmed by the cultural and historical significance of the nation's capital, Owolewa decided it would one day be his home.

Pharmacy school

In 2008, Owolewa enrolled in Northeastern University’s Bouve School of Health Science PharmD program. He was the only black male to graduate in a class of 150. Recognizing that Northeastern’s PharmD program had a minority student retention issue (more than 50% of black students dropped out during his time there), Owolewa created a peer mentorship program in which older pharmacy students could pass on invaluable advice and guidance to their younger counterparts. The program was a huge success, with every participating student going on to earn their Doctorates of Pharmacy. On May 2nd 2014, Owolewa earned his own PharmD from Northeastern.

Pharmacy practice

Three days after graduation, Owolewa moved to Washington, D.C. to begin practicing as a community pharmacist. He worked to improve the health of his community inside and outside of the workplace by providing immunizations, participating in public health fairs, and advocating for measures to fight drug abuse and misuse. In 2017, Owolewa wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post addressing ways D.C. can combat prescription drug abuse. He is a proud member of the Washington D.C. Pharmacy Association and the National Pharmaceutical Association, both of which seek to elevate the pharmacist's role in the community and in policy making. In 2014, Owolewa joined Raising Excitement for Science, Engineering and Technology (RESET), an educational nonprofit in which STEM professionals introduce elementary school students to science through hands-on experiences. Serving as both a board member and volunteer, Owolewa has taught students at Ross Elementary School, D.C. Prep charter school, Malcolm X Elementary, Excel Academy, and Turner Elementary.

Political Career

Following advice from Ward 1 council member Brianne Nadeau, Owolewa became involved in local politics by attending Advisory Neighborhood Commission meetings. In 2018, he ran to represent his neighborhood as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of District ANC 8E01. He won by a single vote. As a commissioner, Owolewa was able to increase science programs for students in Southeast D.C., and write resolutions that have decriminalize prostitution, installed neighborhood traffic safety equipment, and addressed D.C. taxation without representation. He also helped bring Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to the community to discuss D.C. statehood and federal matters affecting D.C. residents.

Advocacy for D.C. Statehood

On January 21, 2017, Owolewa attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. where he witnessed first-hand the demand for increased political participation and awareness. He was particularly struck by discussions on the importance of voters reaching out to their Congress members to demand close checks on then President Donald Trump. Owolewa realized that as a D.C. resident without voter representation, he did not have the same power to influence policy as protestors from outside D.C. did. By moving from Boston to Washington, D.C., he had effectively lost his voting rights. This was his inspiration to join the fight for D.C. statehood and universal voting representation. Since then, Owolewa has lobbied Congress-members to support D.C. statehood bills. He participated in 2019’s D.C. Vote Lobby day, which helped achieve the then record amount of congressional support for HR-51 (D.C. Statehood Bill). He also teamed with Get Money Out - Maryland to end the billion-dollar lobbying that skews lawmaking to favor the wealthiest one per cent of the population. He has also partnered with D.C.’s Democratic Socialists of America to write an op-ed to increase grassroots support for D.C. statehood.

Run for US Representative

In 2020, Owolewa took his advocacy further with a run for US Representative of Washington D.C.. His platform includes:

• D.C. Statehood. Currently, D.C. residents pay the highest taxes without voting representation. They also lack final say over their laws and budget. Owolewa is fighting for D.C. statehood so residents of the nation’s capital can self-govern and participate in the national lawmaking process.
• Medicare for All. As a healthcare provider, Owolewa is convinced that a single-payer healthcare system is the only way to save costs and provide a high level of care.
• Getting Money out of Politics. Owolewa supports overturning the Citizens United vs FEC ruling in order to end the influence of the billionaire class on the lawmaking process.
• Immigration Reform. As a child of immigrants, Owolewa supports Immigration reform to ensures equal treatment and respect for all people who arrive in the United States.
• Income Equality. Owolewa supports measures to ensure income equality and has advocated to increase the national minimum wage to $15/hr.

Endorsements

Owolewa’s key endorsers include the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, Ward 5 Democrats, D.C. Tenants Advocacy Coalition, D.C. Young Democrats, and D.C. Voters for Animals.

Personal life

Owolewa is a second generation Nigerian-American. His father, Ayo Yakubu-Owolewa, was born and raised in Omu-Aran in Kwara State, Nigeria. Ayo was the first in his family to attend university. Owolewa’s mother, Bolade Yakubu-Owolewa, was raised in Ibadan in Oyo State, Nigeria. Outside of her profession as a civil engineer, Bolade has created SAT preparation courses and academic enrichment programs for students in the Boston community. Owolewa’s maternal grandmother, Phoebe Ajayi-Obe (nee Erinne), was the second woman to become Senior Advocate of Nigeria in the country's history.

Owolewa is a member of both the Yoruba and Igbo tribes. He is a Muslim and a vegan.

Awards

2008 University Club of Boston’s Future Leader Award.

2017 Washington D.C. Pharmacy Association Cardinal Health Generation Rx Champion.