{"id":2,"date":"2021-12-10T16:18:20","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T16:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/nantasha-williams\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-01-15T18:04:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T18:04:07","slug":"biography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/nantasha-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams is the representative for Council District 27 in Southeast Queens, NY and its communities of Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, Addisleigh Park, and Springfield Gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Williams is a community leader and social justice advocate 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raised by a single mother who worked as a social worker for the city, Dr. Williams 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. Before her election, Dr. Williams was an activist, particularly focused on issues affecting women and girls, a cause close to her heart. To further engage women in politics, Dr. Williams founded the New York City Black Women\u2019s Political Club, an avenue to build political power for Black women across New York City in 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. William’s champion spirit for human rights, women\u2019s 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\u2019s March on Washington, D.C<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Williams has also shown unwavering dedication to criminal justice reform, combating gun violence, and addressing economic and racial disparities. By volunteering as an advisor to “Until Freedom,” aiding in various justice campaigns nationwide, she has notably contributed to the proceedings in the Breonna Taylor case. Additionally, she served on the board of Life Camp Inc., a program dedicated to curbing gang-related crime and gun violence in the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During her first year in the City Council, Dr. Williams helped pass historic legislation requiring solicitations for jobs in the nation\u2019s most populous city to include salary ranges, in the name of giving applicants \u2014 particularly women and people of color \u2014 a better shot at fair pay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building on her successful efforts during her first year in office, Dr. Williams <\/span>was able to secure significant investments for her district, including funding for the reconstruction of a local park, resilience upgrades at the Cambria Heights Library, and the revitalization of a playground damaged by Hurricane Ida.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Chair of the Committee on Civil and Human Rights, Dr. Williams has also passed legislation requiring the City of New York to provide anti-racism and anti-racial discrimination training for employees, interns, independent contractors, and volunteers of city agencies. Each employee of the city is now required to complete such training at least once per year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, with the launch of the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, in partnership with New York City Department of City Planning, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Speaker Adrienne Adams, Dr. Williams has been able to create a grassroots vision for the future of the Downtown Jamaica and Hollis area that includes more affordable housing and investments to improve the quality of life. The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan aims to create a vision driven by the local community for Jamaica\u2019s future where the community has more people able to live, work and play in the area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Williams is a distinguished scholar in Social Welfare, possessing a PhD from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research meticulously examines Social Movements, Public Policy, and Racial Justice. She obtained her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Master\u2019s in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deputy Speaker Dr. Nantasha Williams is the representative for Council District 27 in Southeast Queens, NY and its communities of Cambria Heights, Hollis, Jamaica, St. Albans, Queens Village, Addisleigh Park, and Springfield Gardens.<\/p>\n

Dr. Williams is a community leader and social justice advocate committed to affecting real change in her community. Creating new economic opportunities, youth development, housing, and protecting our seniors are her top priorities.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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