10 Houston City Council members making history during Women's History Month

Record number of women sitting on Houston’s City Council

FOX 26’s Damali Keith introduces us to the strong women on Houston’s City Council as we mark Women’s History Month.

HOUSTON - This Women’s History Month, FOX 26 is highlighting history-making Houston City Council Members.

For the first time ever 10 of the 17 Houston City Council Members are women. These are 10 remarkable women who help make up what Mayor Sylvester Turner calls one strong Houston City Council.

"These are 10 phenomenal, smart, intelligent, innovative, creative, dynamic women." the mayor said smiling. "Who gets to benefit from that? The 2.3 million people that we all represent."

"It is absolutely phenomenal to know that the 10 women currently serving on Houston City Council are making history," adds Vice Mayor Pro Tem and Houston City Council member Martha Castex-Tatum who represents District K. "With 51% of the world being female, women should be in all of the spaces where decisions are being made."

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"It’s really important for young women to see people that look like them, to see that women can have our careers and raise our families and do this really important job," Houston City Council District A's Amy Peck says. "It’s kind of shocking in 2022 that we haven’t been here before."

And the women are determined to help other ladies get here, as well.

"I shouldn’t be the only woman that will ever sit in the District F seat. I’m the first, but I definitely should not be the last." District F Houston City Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas explains.

So who are Sallie Alcorn, Karla Cisneros, Mary Nan Huffman, Tarsha Jackson, Abbie Kamin, Amy Peck, Letitia Plummer, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Martha Castex-Tatum, and Tiffany Thomas, the 10 ladies who now make up the majority on Houston City Council?

"They’re architects, lawyers, educators." says Mayor Turner.

"We are mothers. We are professors. We are lawyers." adds Vice Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum.

"We come from different backgrounds, different ideologies, but really we are able to put that all aside and work together on everything that has come before us," says Councilwoman Peck.

"I will tell you the level of collaboration and open communication and the commitment to get it done for the citizens is what we experience every week," adds Councilwoman Thomas.

The women say they have the utmost respect for one another as they work to do what’s best for the residents in each district.

"I hope I’m making my people proud." smiles Thomas.