Stormie Denise Forte is an American lawyer, radio host, and politician. She is the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

woman, and the first openly

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

woman, to serve on the

Raleigh City Council Raleigh City Council is the governing body for the city of Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina. Raleigh is governed by council-manager government. It is composed of eight members, including the Mayor of Raleigh. Five of the members ar ...

. She was appointed to the council on July 14, 2020 and represents District D, which encompasses Southwest

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 Southeas ...

. On July 8, 2022, Stormie filed to run for Raleigh's at-large district in the 2022 Raleigh election.

Biography

Forte is a native of

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

. She graduated from

Needham B. Broughton High School Needham B. Broughton High School, commonly known as Broughton High School, is one of thirty-two high schools in the Wake County Public School System. It is located at 723 St. Mary's Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Broughton w ...

in 1989. She has a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and a master of science degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. Forte is a member of

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

. She graduated from

North Carolina Central University School of Law The North Carolina Central University School of Law (also known as NCCU School of Law or NCCU Law) is the law school associated with North Carolina Central University. The school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the ...

in 2002. Forte was appointed to the

on July 14, 2020, making her the first

woman to serve on the council. She is also the first openly

woman, and third openly LGBTQ person after

Saige Martin Saige Martin is an American artist, fund director, and politician. A Democrat, Martin was one of the first openly gay people, the first Latinx person, and the youngest person ever to sit on the Raleigh City Council. He served from 2019 until 2020, ...

and

Jonathan Melton Jonathan S. Melton is an American lawyer and politician. He is one of the first two openly gay people to serve on the Raleigh City Council. He is the current Chairman of the Raleigh City Council's Economic Development and Innovation Committee. Mel ...

, to serve on the council. She is the Representative of

's District D, which includes

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 universit ...

Glenwood South Glenwood South is a major downtown district in Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. Glenwood South is among the largest entertainment centers in Raleigh with a multitude of restaurants, clubs, and cafes. The district also has a r ...

, and

Dix Hill Dix Hill is the informal name for a high, rolling expanse of land and national Historic district (United States), historic district located at Raleigh, North Carolina. The district encompasses 18 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, and 3 ...

. Forte filled a vacant seat on the council, which had belonged to Martin. Martin resigned from the council due to sexual assault allegations. Forte was elected by members of the city council, and by Mayor

Mary-Ann Baldwin Mary-Ann Baldwin is an American marketing executive and politician from the state of North Carolina. She is the mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, serving since 2019. Early life and education Baldwin grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from the ...

, out of fifty-four candidates. She received 6 out of the 7 votes. She ran with a platform to create access to more affordable housing, address concerns related to tensions between citizens and the

Raleigh Police Department The Raleigh Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency of Raleigh, North Carolina. Overview The Raleigh Police Department is a full service police department, serving all areas in the city limits of Raleigh, and some properties wh ...

, and to create more economic development opportunities for local minority-owned small businesses. On being appointed, Forte stated: “I can honestly say I am a little emotional thinking of the historical impact of being selected. Being Black and being female and being a person within the LGBTQ community — all those things make up the person I am.” Forte is a lawyer. She works at Obsidian Consulting Services, where she works with local companies and business organizations. She is also a volunteer with the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon & Half Marathon,

Hopscotch Music Festival Hopscotch Music Festival is an annual three-day music festival in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. With more than 120 bands, Hopscotch is known for adventurous lineups, memorable performances, and a fan-friendly atmosphere. From ...

Rex Hospital Open The Rex Hospital Open is a regular golf tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour. It is played annually at the TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North ...

, and the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County. She is also a member of the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association and the Wake County Voter Education Coalition. She serves on the North Carolina Science Museum Friends Advisory Board, the Clarence Y Lightner Achiever's Advisory Board, the North Carolina Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and University Ethics Bowl Advisory Committee. Forte also hosts a weekly radio show, called ''The Art of Listening'', on Choice FM 92.1.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forte, Stormie Living people 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American women politicians African-American women in politics African-American women lawyers African-American lawyers African-American radio personalities Delta Sigma Theta members LGBT African Americans LGBT city councillors from the United States LGBT broadcasters from the United States LGBT people from North Carolina Needham B. Broughton High School alumni North Carolina Central University alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni North Carolina Democrats North Carolina lawyers Raleigh City Council members African-American city council members in North Carolina American women radio presenters 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women lawyers Year of birth missing (living people)