Tiara Mack
Member of the Rhode Island Senate
from the 6th district
Assumed office
January 5, 2021
Preceded byHarold Metts
Personal details
Born (1993-12-21) December 21, 1993 (age 30)
Atlanta, Georgia
Political partyDemocratic
EducationBrown 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

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]

Mack’s coach and mentor, Kathy Flores.

Career

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

  1. ^ "Rhode Island State Senate District 6". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ admin (May 23, 2022). "Weekend Winners, A Recap". The Rugby Breakdown. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Stevens, Jen (February 4, 2021). "Interview with Senator Tiara Mack". Options RI. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Triedman, Steve (November 2, 2020). "Former Senator Looks Back on Three Decades in District 6". Providence Online. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Nesi, Ted (July 8, 2022). "Sen. Tiara Mack has no regrets after twerking TikTok video goes viral". WPRI-TV. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  12. ^ Palmer, Ewan (July 6, 2022). "Video of Tiara Mack, R.I. State Senator, Twerking on TikTok Goes Viral". Newsweek. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  13. ^ "RI State Senator Tiara Mack 'won't allow' shame for twerking video". WGBH. July 12, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Adams, Kwana (August 3, 2022). "Alt-Right Haters Meltdown Can't Stop The Unapologetic Tiara Mack". Options RI. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
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