Biography
Alma Shealey Adams, born on May 27, 1946, in High Point, North Carolina, is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving North Carolina's 12th Congressional District. She was first elected to Congress in a special election in November 2014, becoming the 100th woman to serve in the 113th Congress. Prior to her congressional tenure, Adams had an extensive career in education, teaching art history at Bennett College for 40 years. She also served on the Greensboro City School Board and the Greensboro City Council, where she was the first African American woman elected to both bodies.
Education
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Bachelor of Science in Art Education from North Carolina A&T State University, 1969
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Master of Science in Art Education from North Carolina A&T State University, 1972
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Ph.D. in Art Education and Multicultural Education from The Ohio State University, 1981
Political Experience
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U.S. House of Representatives: Serving North Carolina's 12th Congressional District since 2014.
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Committee Assignments:
- Committee on Education & the Workforce
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
- Committee on Agriculture
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Caucus Leadership:
- Co-founder and Co-chair, Congressional Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus
- Co-founder and Co-chair, Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Co-chair, e-Learning Caucus
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North Carolina House of Representatives: Served from 1994 to 2014.
- Chair, North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus
- Pioneered the Displaced Homemakers Bill
- Spearheaded the state's first minimum wage increase in nine years
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Greensboro City Council: Served from 1987 to 1994.
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Greensboro City School Board: Served from 1984 to 1986.
Notable Achievements
- *FUTURE Act *: Authored and successfully enacted legislation providing $255 million annually for Minority-Serving Institutions, including $85 million for HBCUs.
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IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act: Introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at making significant investments in HBCU infrastructure.
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Black Maternal Health Caucus: Co-founded the caucus to address disparities in maternal health outcomes among Black women.
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North Carolina A&T State University Human Rights Medal: Recipient of the university's highest award for fighting against social injustice.
Throughout her career, Representative Adams has been a steadfast advocate for education, healthcare, affordable housing, and social justice, consistently working to improve the lives of her constituents and the broader community.
