|
Notes:
|
District 27 - Council Member - Democrat - Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, and Springfield Gardens - New York City Council Member Nantasha Williams is the representative for Council District 27 in Southeast Queens and its communities of Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, Addisleigh Park, and Springfield Gardens. Nantasha is a community leader, social justice advocate, and political organizer committed to affecting real change in her community. Creating new economic opportunities, youth development, housing, and protecting our seniors are her top priorities. It is her mission to serve the residents of her hometown, Southeast Queens, New York and continue its rich legacy into the future. Raised by a single mother who worked as a social worker for the city, Nantasha learned at an early age the importance of hard work and the demands and rewards of fighting for our most vulnerable community members. Nationally recognized as a political strategist, she dedicates her life in service to marginalized communities throughout the country. In 2014, she was appointed the Executive Director of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus (“the Caucus”) one of the largest and most influential political entities in the State of New York. As Executive Director, Nantasha fought for millions of citizens to ensure that the policies being drafted by the New York Legislature were inclusive and aimed at improving the well-being and future advancement of people of color in low-income communities across the state. As an activist, Nantasha confronts issues impacting women and girls, an area she is passionate about. She brings equal determination to fighting for criminal justice reform, stopping gun violence, and ending economic inequality and racial injustice. She served as a member of Community Board 13 where she was appointed Chair of the Special Initiatives Committee, which was created to find ways to modernize all board functions, address unique community issues, and increase board participation. Nantasha serves as board member of Life Camp Inc. – a cure gun violence program supporting efforts that minimize gang crime and gun violence in the community. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nantasha took action to ensure the most vulnerable populations in her district had the resources they needed to stay safe and healthy. As a team leader for the SEQ Wellness Ambassador Initiative, Nantasha led a team that called seniors during the first wave of COVID-19 to provide wellness checks in lieu of senior center closures. Nantasha also created an online platform of resources to address the immediate needs of residents in the Southeast Queens area. To further engage women in politics, Nantasha founded the New York City Black Women’s Political Club, an avenue to build political power for Black women across New York City in 2019. In recognition of her exceptional work and allegiance to her community, Nantasha was honored as one of Albany’s Top 40 under 40 by City & State. But Nantasha’s champion spirit for human rights, women’s rights, and racial equality extends beyond the borders of her home state. She helped lead operations and organizing efforts for one of the largest demonstrations in American history, the Women’s March on Washington, D.C. Nantasha has also organized other demonstrations across the country, leading the charge for protesters demanding representation and implementation of legislative policies for women’s rights and racial justice. Previous to being elected to the City Council, Nantasha served as the Project Manager for Minority Women Business Enterprise Compliance, and helped initiate community outreach efforts for the JFK Redevelopment Program. Nantasha also volunteered as an advisor to “Until Freedom,” an organization supporting important justice campaigns across the country. This included, most recently, lending her guidance to the proceedings in the Breonna Taylor case. Nantasha continues her service through advancing her education. She is currently in a PhD Program for Social Welfare at the CUNY Graduate Center with a research focus on Social Movements, Public Policy, and Racial Justice. She acquired her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.
|