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Zulfat Suara

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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]

Early life, education, and career

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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

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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

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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]

Nashville Metro Council Member At-Large (2019-2023)

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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]

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]

Re-Election, First Chair and Metro Council Pro-Tempore (2023-2027)

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On August 3rd, 2023, Zulfat won her re-election bid. Among 20 candidates, she was the only one to win outright, avoiding a run-off. This victory also made her the first person of color, male or female, in the Metro’s 60-year history to win the chamber’s 1st chair (the individual with ths most votes in the 40-member council). She was subsequently selected by her fellow council members as Metro Council Pro-Tempore as well.

During her second term, she served as the Chair of the Diane Nash Committee, organizing a commemorative event to celebrate the important Civil Rights Movement activist and renaming the Metro Courthouse Plaza in her honor.

In July 2024, multiple demonstrations led by a Neo-Nazi hate group were done throughout the city of Nashville, most notably during a Metro Council announcement meeting presided over by Suara.[30][31]The group harassed media and council members with anti-semitic, homophobic, and racist statements and gestures. Suara addressed the incidents directly in the chamber: “They want attention; you don’t have to give it to them. But I do want you to know that this Council and Nashville government condemns all forms of hate. When you come for one of us, you come for all of us, and we continue to stand together as Nashvillians."[30] Suara then cleared the gallery, removing the hate group from the Chamber. She was lauded by her peers and the public for her bravery and judgment.[31] The event sparked Nashville's participation in the national "United Against Hate" campaign.

State and national politics

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Suara serves as Treasurer of the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC).[32] 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.[33]

Testifying before the US House Sub-Committee

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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.[34] Zulfat's written and oral testimonies highlighted the many incidents of discrimination in the Muslim community at the local, state, and federal levels. [35]

Electoral History

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Nashville Metro Council At-Large, General Election, 2019[36]
Candidate Votes %
✔ Bob Mendes 37,476 10.9%
Zulfat Suara 31,953 9.3%
Sharon Hurt 31,731 9.2%
Sheri Weiner 31,672 9.2%
Burkley Allen 30,722 8.9%
Fabian Bedne 25,001 7.3%
Howard Jones 24,828 7.2%
Steve Glover 23,929 7.0%
Gary Moore 20,843 6.1%
Gicola Lane 20,243 5.9%
Adam Dread 19,741 5.7%
Michael Craddock 16,130 4.7%
James Dillard 14,085 4.1%
Matthew DelRossi 8,116 2.4%
Rueben Dockery 5,425 1.6%
Other/Write-In 1,618 0.5%
Nashville Metro Council At-Large, General Election Runoff, 2019[36]
Candidate Votes %
✔ Sharon Hurt 15.3% 40,332
✔ Burkley Allen 13.2% 34,754
✔ Steve Glover 13.1% 34,408
✔ Zulfat Suara 13.0% 34,271
Sheri Weiner 12.6% 33,108
Howard Jones 11.5% 30,201
Fabian Bedne 11.3% 29,840
Gary Moore 9.6% 25,264
Other/Write-in 0.5% 1,414
Nashville Metro Council, At-Large, General Election, 2023[36]
Candidate Votes %
✔ Zulfat Suara 10.7% 40,575
Delishia Porterfield 9.1% 34,481
Burkley Allen 8.0% 30,314
Olivia Hill 6.8% 25,802
Howard Jones 6.7% 25,327
Quin Evans-Segall 5.9% 22,644
Russ Pulley 5.9% 22,386
Chris Cheng 5.8% 22,000
Jeff Syracuse 5.4% 20,643
Marcia Masulla 5.3% 20,275
Yolanda Hockett 5.2% 19,799
Arnold Hayes 4.3% 16,288
Chris Crofton 3.4% 12,936
Ronnie Greer Sr. 3.0% 11,349
Tony Chapman 2.7% 10,290
Stephen Downs 2.6% 9,998
Deloris Vandivort 2.4% 9,005
Gilbert Ramirez 2.1% 7,924
Indrani Ray 1.6% 6,257
Jonathan Williamson 1.5% 5,797
Brian Hellwig 1.3% 5,115
Other/Write-in 0.4% 1,447

Personal life

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Zulfat Suara married Dr. Rahaman Suara in 1990. They emigrated from Nigeria in 1993 and live with their five children in Nashville, TN.[37]

References

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  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. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  3. ^ "A Nigerian may become first Muslim lawmaker in American state". The Guardian. 8 August 2019. 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. 13 March 2017. 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. 20 January 2018. 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. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  22. ^ "Muslim Advocates Condemns Anti-Muslim Harassment and Threats on Rashida Tlaib, Qasim Rashid & Zulfat Suara". Muslim Advocates. 2 July 2019. 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. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  25. ^ "A Nigerian may become first Muslim lawmaker in American state". The Guardian. 8 August 2019. 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. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  29. ^ "Nashville renames prominent city street 'Rep. John Lewis Way' after late civil rights icon". NBC News. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  30. ^ a b "Neo-Nazis Disrupt Metro Council Meeting".
  31. ^ a b "She took on Neo Nazis and hate groups. Nashville Council Member Zulfat Suara is a boss".
  32. ^ "Zulfat Suara". National Women's Political Caucus. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  33. ^ "Bernie Sanders Campaign Announces Co-Chairs Across All Super Tuesday States". Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  34. ^ "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.
  35. ^ Suara, Zulfat (2022-03-01). "Suara Testimony" (PDF). Judiciary.house.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-08.
  36. ^ a b c "Zulfat Suara". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  37. ^ "Zulfat Suara". Zulfat Suara | Metro Council At-Large. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
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