Dr. Letitia Plummer, who won Houston’s At-Large 4 Council seat, was officially inaugurated last week as a member of the Houston City Council, becoming the first Muslim woman to win the seat, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement.
“I am proud to be the first Muslim woman on Houston City Council,” Letitia Plummer said.
“I come from a mixed-faith family and because of that, I have always appreciated the many different faiths in Houston. I am a believer in breaking down barriers, celebrating our similarities, and working through our differences.
“Thanks to my upbringing, I have learned to fight for justice for everyone. I will always be an advocate for interfaith coalitions for the betterment of our society,” she added.
Dr. Plummer was officially inaugurated on Thursday, January 2, 2020.
The Councilwoman has a rich family history in Houston. Her grandfather who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement in Houston and became the first African-American judge in Texas, and where her father made a home with his Yemeni-born wife, became a dentist and provided health care for the underserved (a practice that Letitia continues today).
“We congratulate the success of Letitia Plummer whose victory and inauguration ceremony demonstrates the strength of our political system and the growing positive role of American Muslims in Houston and at every level of our society,” said CAIR-Houston Executive Director Lubabah Abdulah, Esq.
More than 80 American Muslims ran for office last year at the local, state and national level. This year, CAIR-Houston has worked to mobilize community members to vote during general elections.
Making History
According to a report on American Muslims in public office, from 2016 to 2019 approximately 138 Muslims won offices nationwide.
For example, Movita Johnson-Harrell made history in March last year by winning the contested special election for the 190th District seat, becoming the first female Muslim state representative in Pennsylvania.
Zulfat Suara also made history in September when she became the first Muslim elected to a Metro seat in Nashville.
