"I'm Somali, I'm Muslim", the confession of the black woman who will lead the American city with a white majority

Deqa Dhalac saw it in their faces when he started the campaign. Some people, she says, looked scared as they opened their doors when she knocked. Others who saw her wearing a veil assumed she did not speak English. But Dhalac kept knocking and telling her story.

She says a lot has changed since that day in 2018, when she first ran for City Council in South Portland, Maine — and won.

On Monday, she became the first black mayor of the small town on the state's south coast. And she is believed to be the first Somali-American mayor in the United States, reports cnn.

Portland's other city councilors, who are all white, elected him in a unanimous vote, praising Dhalaci for his commitment to the community and his careful selection of issues, the Telegraph reports.

Dhalac, 53, says her election shows what can be achieved when people find ways to connect with each other instead of building walls between them, Telegraph reports.

"People will always have some kind of reservation...but they'll get to know you, listen to you and see who you are through that," she says.

Given that Maine is the most white state in the US and that South Portland is 90 percent white, Dhalac knows her choice sounds surprising to some.

But she says it doesn't have to be. And this is one of the reasons why he ran in the first place. She hopes her election as mayor will inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

"I'm really proud of the fact that I'm going to pave the way for many more people like me, especially the younger members of our community to say, 'If this woman can do it, I can do it,'" she said. Dhalac before the City Council.

"Also not only for immigrants or people of color, but also for young, white individuals who may have been afraid or unwilling to be a part of the civic duties that we all have... I say, 'Yes, if i can do this, yes you can too. We really need you, each and every one of you in this beautiful city of ours, to step up,'” she added.

Its selection marks many stages

Dhalac's inauguration is a historic moment for the Somali community that has grown in recent years and settled in states such as Maine, Minnesota, Ohio and Washington. As this happens, more Somali-Americans are taking roles on local school boards and city councils — and also serving as Minnesota Democratic legislator Ilhan Omar.

Dhalac is the first Somali-American mayor in the United States, according to New American Leaders, an organization that trains and encourages immigrants to run for office.

Dhalacut's election also is historic for South Portland, which has never had a black mayor, said Seth Goldstein, vice president of the South Portland Historical Society.

Goldstein, who teaches history at a school and leads history tours in the area, says he is happy with the unfolding of the new chapter in his town's history.

"It's very exciting, I think it reflects the way the community here is gradually changing," says Goldstein. About 6,000 Somalis live in Maine, Goldstein said, thanks to a wave of migration that began in the early 2000s.

Their arrival has not always been welcomed with open arms. In 2002, the mayor of Lewiston, Maine, drew attention when he wrote an open letter telling Somali immigrants not to come to his town.

But Dhalac says the people she's met in Maine have been welcoming, and in recent years she's seen more Somalis and other immigrants take leadership positions in the state.

"I think we were always afraid to get involved... We were waiting for someone (else) to do something," she said. In 2018, Dhalac got tired of waiting.

Trump's presidency helped convince him to run

Dhalac left Somalia in 1990, shortly before the country descended into civil war. After immigrating to the United States in 1992, she says it wasn't long before she started organizing other immigrants to become citizens and have the right to vote. But she never considered running for office herself, until she came to a disturbing realization.

"Despite how important my work was, we were absent from the decision-making tables", said Dhalac.

After former US President Donald Trump took office, Dhalac told CNN she felt even more determined to make her voice heard. She joined protesters at a 2016 rally after the Republican made comments denigrating Somali immigrants.

The following year, she participated in a protest against white supremacy and made headlines when she declared "I'm a Muslim woman, a black immigrant, and I'm not going anywhere."

She says many people push her to run. After receiving her family's blessing, she began knocking on doors, doing what she could to connect with voters and win them over, Telegraph reports.

In 2018, she ran against a local business owner and won, making history as the first African-American and first Muslim elected to the council. In 2020, she ran unopposed for a second term. The city council chooses from among its members who will be mayor, and in November, her colleagues unanimously supported her appointment.
And on Monday they voted to make it official. She will serve a one-year term.

South Portland is home to about 25 people, making it Maine's fourth largest city.

Dhalac's top priorities for the city include improving climate change response, increasing the availability of affordable housing and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Being on the South Portland City Council is not a full-time job. Dhalac has a background in social work, and by day she is a family engagement and cultural responsiveness specialist for the Maine Department of Education. She also serves on numerous boards and is the mother of three grown children.

There is a Somali saying behind her leadership philosophy

On Monday, so many people wanted to attend Dhalacut's inauguration that organizers had to move it to a larger auditorium.

Dhalac says she is grateful to community members who might have seen her as an outsider, but instead welcomed her. And that connection has to go both ways, she says.

The Somali woman encourages immigrants, "We are living in the same space, so we must build relationships together."

Dhalac tells a Somali saying "What I lack is inside my brother or sister".

This, she says, means that to make the best decisions, leaders must consult with the community.

In her inaugural address on Monday, Dhalac vowed to keep an open mind as mayor.

"He must listen with empathy, compassion and understanding so we can serve South Portland together," she concluded. /Telegraph/