RALEIGH, N.C. – While Americans were looking towards Washington, DC, to witness history being made when a diverse freshman class of legislators took their seats in Congress, many North Carolinians were looking to Raleigh and Forsyth County, N.C., to witness history being made as well.
November elections brought Muslim Americans to public office. They took an oath to uphold the constitution and the laws of this state, county, and country.
On Jan. 27, 2019, New Africa Legacies (NALs) called and many from across the state responded by attending a reception at the Vital Link Event Center in Raleigh. They came to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of three brothers who won their bids for public office.
NALs extends a special thanks to its partners, Summit Environmental Resources, The American Coalition for Good Government, As-Salaam Islamic Center of Raleigh and Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center of Durham, for hosting such a diverse group, including city and county officials as well as guests from nearby cities and towns. Each newly elected official – Senator Mujtaba A. Muhammad, District 38; Representative Nasif Majeed, District 99, and Forsyth County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin, District A – spoke about his journey to the position and encouraged guests to get involved to help make our communities better.
North Carolina has not had a Muslim in its General Assembly since Senator Larry Shaw served from 1995 to 2009. These officials came to their posts from varied backgrounds and experiences.
State Senator Mujtaba A. Mohammed started his run for senator with strong endorsements from many community groups including: Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC, Association of Educators, Charlotte Mecklenburg Association of Educators, NC AFL-CIO, NC League of Conservation Voters, Equality NC, MECKPAC, NC Planned Parenthood, Democracy of America, Indian American Impact Fund, The Charlotte Observer, and Human Rights Campaign.
With a team of dedicated volunteers, he reached out to more than 11,000 households in his district. He aims to improve the lives of North Carolinians and show how diversity in NC is a strength.
Having earned a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and a Law Degree from NC Central University School of Law, Senator Mohammed has built his professional career by serving as a public interest attorney for thousands of families in his district and surrounding areas.
State Representative Nasif Majeed is a native of Raleigh, NC. He graduated from J.W. Ligon Jr/Sr. High School and went on to earn an Associate’s Degree from the University of Florida, a Bachelor’s and Graduate Degrees from NC A & T State University.
He served with distinction as a member of the Charlotte City Council for eight years. A few of his accomplishments include his leadership in generating $200 million dollars in infrastructure improvements in his District and spearheading the successful effort to build a $40 million-dollar state-of-the-art Regional Recreational Complex for Eastside Charlotte.
He further established the West Charlotte Business incubator to address job opportunities, and he served the Mecklenburg Planning Commission, Charlotte Housing Authority, NC Dept. of Corrections, and Plaza Eastway Partnership, Inc.
Representative Majeed is a veteran, having served as Captain and Aircraft Commander of a B-52 Bomber in the U.S. Air Force for five years. He also worked as a pilot for Piedmont Airlines (now US Airways). He was chair of The American Coalition for Good Government in its early years, and he is a successful businessman.
County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin serves as District A Representative in Forsyth County, NC. As one of a seven-member Board, Commissioner El-Amin’s responsibilities include: adopting the annual county budget, setting the county property tax rate, establishing county policies and acting on zoning and other land use matters.
He was initially appointed in March 2017. He is the husband of Dr. Cassaundra A. El-Amin, father of five and grandfather of nine.
Commissioner El-Amin serves his community as President of The American Coalition for Good Government and Vice-Chairman of the Shalom Project in Winston Salem.
He also serves as a Board Member of Triad Cultural Arts, Inc., Americans United, Liberian Organization of the Piedmont, and Northwest NC Advocates for Disabilities. He is a life-time member of the NAACP and Program Coordinator of Interfaith Winston-Salem.
After graduating from Anderson Jr/Sr. High School, Winston Salem, NC, and Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, he furthered his studies at the graduate level at American Graduate School of International Management, Glendale, AZ; Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA., and is a doctoral student at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.
NALs thinks this is the beginning of something really good. We thank Allah that these brothers have stepped up. Let’s pray for their continued success and support them whenever we can.