Nantasha Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nantasha Williams
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| Member of the New York City Council from the 27th district |
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| Assumed office January 1, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Daneek Miller |
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| Born | March 29, 1988 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Virginia Commonwealth University (BA) State University of New York, Albany (MPA) City University of New York |
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Nantasha M. Williams was born on March 29, 1988. She is an American politician from New York City. As a member of the Democratic Party, Williams represents the 27th district. This district covers parts of southeastern Queens.
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Early Life and Education
Nantasha Williams grew up in Queens, New York. She was raised by her mother, who worked as a social worker.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Later, she received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from SUNY Albany. Currently, she is studying for a PhD at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Nantasha Williams's Career in Politics
Before becoming an elected official, Nantasha Williams worked for Assemblywoman Diana Richardson. She started as a staff member and eventually became Richardson's chief of staff.
Williams was also chosen to be the executive director of the New York State's Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. This group represents state lawmakers of color.
Running for State Assembly in 2016
In 2016, Nantasha Williams decided to run for office herself. She ran for the 33rd district of the New York State Assembly in southeastern Queens. This was after Assemblywoman Barbara Clark passed away.
She competed against Clyde Vanel and three other candidates in the Democratic primary election. Vanel had run for the seat twice before. Vanel won the primary election by a small amount, and then won the seat.
Running for City Council in 2021
Four years after her Assembly campaign, Williams ran for the New York City Council. The current Councilman, Daneek Miller, could not run again because of term limits. Williams ran for the 27th district, which is a similar area to her previous campaign.
She received support from Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman and many major unions in the city. There were twelve candidates in the race, and many powerful people stayed neutral.
On election night, June 22, Williams had a strong lead. She received 36 percent of the votes. Her closest competitor had only 11 percent. She officially won two weeks later, after all votes were counted. She ran unopposed in the November general election and took office on January 1, 2022.
First Term in City Council (2022-2023)
After being elected, Council Member Williams was chosen to lead the NYC Council's Committee on Civil and Human Rights. She also joined several other important committees. These included Economic Development, General Welfare, Mental Health, and Transportation.
Later, she moved from some committees to the powerful Finance Committee. This committee helps oversee the budget for New York City.
Key Laws and Actions
During her first year, Council Member Williams helped pass an important law. This law requires many job ads in New York City to include salary ranges. This helps people, especially women and people of color, get fair pay.
She also helped pass a law requiring inspections for self-closing doors in apartment buildings. This was very important after a fire in the Bronx caused many deaths. Faulty self-closing doors were a major problem in that fire.
Council Member Williams also supported a resolution for the Clean Slate Act. This act would allow people's criminal records to be automatically sealed. This means their records would not be public after a certain time, if they did not commit new crimes. Governor Kathy Hochul signed this act into law the next year.
Community Investments and Hip-Hop Recognition
In her second year, Council Member Williams passed two resolutions to honor Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary. One resolution recognized August as Hip-Hop Recognition Month and December as Hip-Hop History Month. The second resolution honored Def Jam Recordings for their contributions to Hip-Hop music.
She also helped secure major money for her district in the New York City budget. This included $3.8 million to redesign a local park near PS.176Q. She also got $2.8 million for important upgrades to the Cambria Heights Library. Another $2.755 million was secured to rebuild a playground damaged by Hurricane Ida.
Council Member Williams also started the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan. This plan works with the New York City Department of City Planning and local leaders. Its goal is to create a vision for the future of Downtown Jamaica and Hollis. This includes more affordable housing and better quality of life for residents. The plan focuses on a large area around Downtown Jamaica.
Personal Life
Nantasha Williams owns a home in Cambria Heights, Queens, New York.
