Zulfat Suara was elected as an At-Large Council Member to the Metropolitan Government of
Nashville and Davidson County, in September 2019, garnering over 34,000 votes from a diverse
electorate. Her election marked several firsts: she became the first Muslim, the first immigrant in
an At-Large position, and she is the first Muslim woman elected in the State of Tennessee.
Furthermore, she is the first Nigerian woman to be elected to any office in the United States.
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 the
most votes in the 40-member council).
As a council member, Suara has been a tenacious advocate for human rights, serving as Chair
of the Affordable Housing Committee, Chair of the Education Committee, Vice-Chair of the
Budget Committee, and a member of the Audit, and Personnel/Public Information committees.
During her first term, she has sponsored or co-sponsored several significant bills, including
legislation to allocate 50% of future Oracle taxes to affordable housing. She championed an
eviction right-to-counsel PILOT program, offering education, outreach, and legal representation
for Nashvillians facing evictions, ensuring that residents don’t lose their homes due to a lack of
resources to defend their rights.
Suara has supported budget amendments increasing salaries for teachers, bus drivers, and
support staff. A highlight of her tenure was the council’s decision to add advocacy centers in all
elementary schools to foster social-emotional learning for children. She is also a staunch
supporter of small businesses, sponsoring bills to ease audit requirements for doing business
with Metro and mandating that 20% of Barnes funds be allocated to small businesses.
Following the death of Representative John Robert Lewis, Suara spearheaded efforts to
commemorate the late congressman and acknowledge Nashville’s role in the civil rights
movement. She successfully sponsored an ordinance to rename Fifth Avenue from Jefferson
Street to I-40 as Rep. John Lewis Way. She was also part of the community group that
suggested the naming of the proposed North Nashville transit center after Dr. Ernest ‘Rip’
Patton, honoring civil rights icons and inspiring future generations.
Zulfat is one of the citizens that sued the state to protect minority representation on the council
and stood by the TN three to preserve our democracy. She testified before the House
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, discussing discrimination
against Muslim, Arab, and South Asian American communities. Her testimonies underscored
discrimination at local, state, and federal levels.
Her TEDx talk, “Building Power Where You Seemingly Do Not Belong,” was ranked as the 10th
most-watched TEDx talk globally in October 2021.
Zulfat is a Certified Public Accountant. She has been married to her wonderful husband for 33
years and is a proud mother of five amazing children.