Tiara Mack | |
---|---|
Member of the Rhode Island Senate from the 6th district | |
Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Harold Metts |
Personal details | |
Born | Atlanta, Georgia | December 21, 1993
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Brown University (BA) |
Tiara Mack (born December 21, 1993) is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate, representing District 6. Mack assumed office on January 5, 2021, having defeated the incumbent senator Harold Metts in the Democratic primary.[1]
Early life
[edit]Born in 1993, Tiara Mack was raised in Georgia and South Carolina. Mack's mother worked as a teacher. Her family struggled financially.[2]
In 2012, Mack moved to Providence, Rhode Island, to attend Brown University; she graduated from the school in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in public health.[3]
While attending Brown University, Mack played in the university's women's Rugby Union team.[4] Mack was trained by Rugby World Cup winner, Kathy Flores.[5] In May 2022, Mack was named championship MVP at the USA Rugby National Championship.[6][7]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Kathy_Flores%2C_2007_%28cropped%29.jpg/127px-Kathy_Flores%2C_2007_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Career
[edit]In the 2020 Rhode Island Senate elections, Mack challenged incumbent state Senator Harold Metts in the Democratic primary.[8] Mack's campaign proved effective at winning over younger, more socially liberal voters.[9] Mack defeated Metts, winning with 60% of the vote.[2]
As of 2022 Mack is the first openly queer black person elected to the Rhode Island Senate.[2]
Mack joined TikTok to create a larger conversation around bodily autonomy.[10] In July 2022, a video from Mack's TikTok account went viral. In the video, Mack is shown in a bikini at the beach doing a headstand and twerking.[11][12] Mack’s TikTok account was banned a few days after the video and was restored shortly after The New York Times reached out to TikTok for comment on the ban.[10] Mack used the spotlight to start Twitter campaign, #TwerkFor, to represent progressive political movements.[13] She stated, “I #TwerkFor joy, abortion justice, body autonomy, trans rights and intersex rights.”[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rhode Island State Senate District 6". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c Compton, Julie (November 18, 2020). "'Unapologetically Black and queer' Tiara Mack is headed to the Rhode Island Senate". NBC News. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Gelb-Bicknell, Corey (November 4, 2020). "R.I. Elections Roundup: Mack '16 wins election to State Senate as R.I. Dems reelected to U.S. House, Senate". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ^ Yin, Victoria (February 24, 2021). "Tiara Mack '16, first Black queer RI state senator, shares her path to public office with current University students". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ women.rugby. "How rugby helped Rhode Island state Senator Tiara Mack become a "natural leader" | Women in Rugby | women.rugby". Women’s Rugby. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ admin (May 23, 2022). "Weekend Winners, A Recap". The Rugby Breakdown. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Owen, Greg (October 20, 2022). "Out State Senator Tiara Mack has already made history in Rhode Island. She's not finished yet". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Stevens, Jen (February 4, 2021). "Interview with Senator Tiara Mack". Options RI. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ Triedman, Steve (November 2, 2020). "Former Senator Looks Back on Three Decades in District 6". Providence Online. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Hasan, Sadiba; Lee, Anna Grace (July 13, 2022). "A Rhode Island State Senator Wants You to #TwerkFor Justice". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Nesi, Ted (July 8, 2022). "Sen. Tiara Mack has no regrets after twerking TikTok video goes viral". WPRI-TV. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ Palmer, Ewan (July 6, 2022). "Video of Tiara Mack, R.I. State Senator, Twerking on TikTok Goes Viral". Newsweek. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ "RI State Senator Tiara Mack 'won't allow' shame for twerking video". WGBH. July 12, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ Adams, Kwana (August 3, 2022). "Alt-Right Haters Meltdown Can't Stop The Unapologetic Tiara Mack". Options RI. Retrieved March 11, 2023.