Nida Allam (born December 15, 1993) is an American politician, political activist, and data analyst. She currently serves on the
Durham County Board of Commissioners, to which she was elected in 2020, making her the first Muslim woman to serve in public office in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
.
Allam is one of five women to serve on the Durham County Board of Commissioners; this is the first time the board has consisted entirely of women in its 139-year history.
Since 2018, Allam has served as the Chair of the
Durham Mayor’s Council for Women. She was elected as the Third Vice-Chair of the
North Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh.
Governor Roy Cooper is a North Carolina Democrat. Since the 2010 passage o ...
and served from 2017 to 2021, becoming the first Muslim to serve on the party’s executive board. On November 8, 2021, Allam announced that she would be seeking the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
's nomination for Congress in North Carolina's newly redrawn
4th Congressional District.
Early life and education
Allam was born on December 15, 1993, in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Canada.
[ She is the daughter of immigrants, her father is from ]India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
and her mother is from Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-la ...
.[ Allam has two older sisters.][ When she was five years old her family moved to Brier Creek, a suburb between ]Raleigh
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southe ...
and Durham in North Carolina, after her father took a job with IBM at Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in the United States, occupying in North Carolina and hosting more than 300 companies and 65,000 workers.
The facility is named for its location relative to the three surrounding cities ...
.[ When she was six years old the family moved to the nearby town of Cary.][ She became a naturalized United States citizen as a teenager.][ Her mother, Iffat Allam, served as the Chair of the Women's Committee at their mosque.][ Allam and her mother volunteered at local food banks and helped set up homes for single mothers and refugees in the ]Research Triangle
The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...
.[ A devout ]Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, she did not begin wearing the hijab
In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While s ...
full-time until she was in eighth grade.[
Allam graduated from Needham B. Broughton High School, a magnet school in downtown Raleigh, where she was a member of the varsity ]lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
team.[ As a high school student, she chaired the Triangle Health Fair, a Muslim student-led campaign to partner with local doctors, chiropractors, and dentists to provide free health care to low-income community members.][
She graduated from ]North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The unive ...
with a degree in sustainable materials and technology. While at university, she founded the NC State For Bernie Club and became Co-Chair of the Triangle For Bernie Club.[
]
Political career
Allam was inspired to become politically involved after her best friend, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, was one of the three people killed in the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting. She had been a bridesmaid at Abu-Salha's wedding that December. The shooting targeted members of North Carolina's Muslim community. Allam became involved in the grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
movement and worked as a political director for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 200 ...
' 2016 presidential campaign
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
, as well as an organizing director for Justice Cheri Beasley's campaign for the North Carolina Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consist ...
. She was the 2016 Political Director in North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey and New York for Sanders' presidential campaign.
She is a 2019 alumna of Durham's chapter of the New Leaders Council.
Initial runs for office
Allam decided to run for public office after having worked behind the scenes in the progressive movement and with voter mobilization efforts because she believed there needed to be more progressive candidates representing the diversity of the American people. She was elected as the Third Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party
The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party. It is headquartered in the historic Goodwin House, located in Raleigh.
Governor Roy Cooper is a North Carolina Democrat. Since the 2010 passage o ...
in January 2017, becoming the first Muslim American to serve on the party's executive council, and was appointed as the Chair of the Durham Mayor's Council for Women in 2018.
As a member of the Mayor's Council for Women, she advised Mayor Steve Schewel on issues pertaining to the rights of women and LGBTQIA community members, especially non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typica ...
and transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through t ...
people. As Third Vice Chair of the Democratic Party in North Carolina, she served alongside Second Chair Matt Hughes, former First Chair Aisha Dew, Party Secretary Melvin Williams, and former State Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin
George Wayne Goodwin (born February 22, 1967) is an American politician. He was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election and re-elected in 2012. He was narrowly defeated in his bid for a third term in 2016. However, h ...
. She also served as a delegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majo ...
and the 2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates o ...
.
Durham County Board of Commissioners
Allam was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2020 with endorsements from the Durham Association of Educators, Equality North Carolina, and the People's Alliance PAC. When Allam announced her candidacy for Durham County Commissioner, her family members received Islamophobic
Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism.
The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia' ...
hate mail via social media platforms. She was elected to serve alongside Nimasheena Burns, Wendy Jacobs, Heidi Carter, and Brenda Howerton. This was the first time that Durham County has had an all-woman board of commissioners in its 139-year history. Upon her election, she became the first Muslim woman to hold an elected office in North Carolina. She received 39,523 votes in the primary election and 122,947 votes in the general election, finishing ahead of all other candidates. Her election was celebrated by the Council on American–Islamic Relations
The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. It is headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with regional offices nationwide. Through civil rights actions, media relations, civic engag ...
and Muslim Advocates.
Congressional candidacy
On November 8, 2021, Allam announced that she would be seeking the Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
* Botswana Democratic Party
* Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*De ...
's nomination for Congress in North Carolina's newly redrawn 4th Congressional District. If she were elected, she would be the third Muslim woman to serve in Congress, after Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
and Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Harbi Tlaib (, ; born July 24, 1976) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. The district includes the western half of Detroit, along with several of its western suburbs and much of the D ...
, both of whom endorsed Allam's candidacy. Allam lost the primary to her more moderate opponent by 9 points.
Political views
Allam ran for Durham County Commissioner on a platform centered on addressing economic inequality. Campaign priorities included a $15 minimum wage for county workers, boosting mental health services in schools and investing in businesses run by women and people of color.
She believes that charter schools
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
have increased racial segregation
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Intern ...
in Durham schools. As a county commissioner, Allam stated she plans to increase the minimum wage of Durham Public Schools classified staff to U.S. $15 an hour and enact property tax assistance programs. She has stated that evictions and lack of affordable housing opportunities are also a crisis in the county, and referenced the issue of gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...
misplacing Black families from their homes in Durham's historical African-American neighborhoods. Allam has also called for more funding and community investment into Durham Public Schools and Durham Technical Community College, saying that education is tied to economic and racial justice issues. Allam supports organized labor unions
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
. She blames the North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caro ...
for inadequate funding for public schools.
Allam has been criticized for her past statements and tweets in regards to Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
that some have seen as Anti-Zionist or anti-Semitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. In 2021, Allam apologized to the Jewish community for her past statements and committed to "a movement for justice and peace, in which anti-Semitism must have no home." While Allam received endorsements in her race from figures like Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
, who have been in the past accused of antisemitism, Valerie Foushee, her primary opponent, began to receive funds and assistance from pro-Israel groups such as AIPAC and Sam Bankman-Fried
Samuel Benjamin Bankman-Fried (born March 6, 1992), also known by the initialism SBF, is an American suspected fraudster, entrepreneur, investor, and former billionaire. Bankman-Fried was the founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FT ...
's Protect Our Future PAC, prompting allegations that Foushee's campaign had succeeded primarily due to support from dark money as the race became "the most expensive Democratic congressional primary in North Carolina history".
Personal life
She lives in Durham with her husband, Towqir Aziz, and two dogs named Otis and Nala. She and Aziz met in a Muslim Sunday school
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
.[ Allam is a member of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality & Equality. She is a citizen of the United States and Canada, and also holds Pakistani citizenship by descent.
In April 2022, Allam announced that she was pregnant. Allam had been pregnant in 2021, but had an abortion due to medical issues.]
Electoral History
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allam, Nida
1993 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women scientists
Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign
American left-wing activists
American people of Indian descent
American people of Pakistani descent
American Muslim activists
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian people of Indian descent
Canadian people of Pakistani descent
Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
County commissioners in North Carolina
Indian Muslim activists
Living people
Needham B. Broughton High School alumni
North Carolina Democrats
North Carolina State University alumni
Pakistani Muslim activists
People from Durham County, North Carolina
Politicians from Ottawa
Scientists from North Carolina
Women data scientists
Women in North Carolina politics
People from Cary, North Carolina