Rita Ali

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Rita Ali

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| office = 47th Mayor of Peoria

| term_start = {{Start date|2021|05|4}}

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| predecessor = Jim Ardis

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|01|31}}

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| party = Democratic

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| residence = Peoria, Illinois, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of Illinois Springfield
Bradley University
Capella University

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Rita Ali (born January 31, 1958) is an American politician serving as the 47th mayor of Peoria, Illinois since 2021. She was elected on April 21, 2021, finishing just 43 votes ahead of her opponent, councilman Jim Montelongo. Ali was sworn in two weeks later on May 4, becoming both the first woman and the first African American to serve as mayor of Peoria.{{Cite web|last=@21stshow|date=2021-05-12|title=Interview: Rita Ali, Peoria Mayor|url=https://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/interview-rita-ali-peoria-mayor|access-date=2021-05-25|website=Illinois Public Media|language=en}} She has previously served on the Peoria City Council and has held a position as Vice President of Workforce and Diversity at Illinois Central College.

Formative years

Ali is the daughter of Robert and Nora Bryant. She has an older sister, Robin, and younger brother, Robert."[https://www.peoriamagazines.com/tpw/2006/mar/interview-rita-ali An Interview with Rita Ali]," in Peoria Magazine, March 2006. Peoria, Illinois: Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. (retrieved online May 25, 2021). She spent her early years in Hannibal, Missouri, and subsequently relocated with her family to Peoria, Illinois during 1964, when she was six years old.Deacon, Joe. "[https://www.wcbu.org/peoria-public-radio-news/2021-03-18/q-a-rita-ali-states-her-case-for-peoria-mayor Q&A: Rita Ali States Her Case For Peoria Mayor]." Peoria, Illinois: WCBU-Peoria Public Radio, March 18, 2021 (retrieved online May 25, 2021)."[https://www.wcbu.org/peoria-public-radio-news/2020-09-01/councilwoman-rita-ali-is-running-for-peoria-mayor Councilwoman Rita Ali Is Running For Peoria Mayor]." Peoria, Illinois: WCBU-Peoria Public Radio, September 1, 2020 (retrieved online May 25, 2021).

Ali was a 1976 graduate of Manual High School. A single parent following her graduation, she began her college education at Bradley University with the help of a full-tuition scholarship (the Romeo B. Garrett Scholarship), and attended classes there for two years until financial circumstances forced her to temporarily leave school to work full time. Thirty years later, she was a doctoral candidate in organization and management at Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2006, having previously earned her bachelor's degree in human services management from the University of Illinois Springfield and her master's degree in education administration from Bradley University.

As Rita Bryant, she met her future husband, Bashir Ali, while they were both employed by the City of Peoria's Central Illinois Private Industry Council. She and Ali were married on May 6, 1996, and have four daughters and nine grandchildren. Bashir Ali has been the director of workforce development for the City of Peoria since 1987."[https://www.peoriamagazines.com/ibi/2002/dec/interview-bashir-ali An Interview with Bashir Ali]," in Peoria Magazine, December 2002. Peoria, Illinois: Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. (retrieved online May 25, 2021).

Professional life

Rita Ali secured her first job at the age of fourteen. She was employed as a community outreach worker by the Dar es Salaam (House of Peace) Center on Peoria's South Side, and was also later a community organizer for the Northside Action Council. Later in her professional life, as the manager of the federal division of an information technology company, Rita Ali worked in Washington, DC for two years, but decided to return to Peoria to be closer to family. Hired as the director of Multicultural Student Services at Bradley University, she was subsequently appointed as the director of diversity at Illinois Central College in 2004.

Political career

Still employed at Illinois Central College in 2019, Rita Ali held the title of vice president of workforce, diversity and career development. She had also been elected to the Peoria City Council."[https://www.peoriamagazines.com/pm/2019/dec/dr-rita-ali Dr. Rita Ali: ICC/Peoria City Council]," in Peoria Magazine, December 2019. Peoria, Illinois: Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. (retrieved online, May 25, 2021.

Ali was an at-large member of the Peoria City Council at the time she announced her run for mayor in 2020. She was successful, and made history, becoming the first woman and first African American to become mayor of Peoria.

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite news|url=https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/dr-rita-ali-sworn-in-as-peorias-first-black-female-mayor/|title=Dr. Rita Ali sworn in as Peoria's first Black female mayor|first=Darronté|last=Matthews|publisher=CIProud.com|date=4 May 2021|accessdate=5 May 2021|archive-date=5 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505095004/https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/dr-rita-ali-sworn-in-as-peorias-first-black-female-mayor/|url-status=live}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/its-official-rita-ali-makes-peoria-history-first-woman-african-american-become-mayor#stream/0|title=It's Official: Rita Ali Makes Peoria History As First Woman, African American To Become Mayor|first1=Tim|last1=Shelly|first2=Joe|last2=Deacon|publisher=WCBU|date=20 April 2021|accessdate=5 May 2021|archive-date=5 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505124512/https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/its-official-rita-ali-makes-peoria-history-first-woman-african-american-become-mayor#stream/0|url-status=live}}

{{cite news|url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/government/2021/05/04/rita-ali-first-female-black-mayor-peoria-illinois-election-history/4931719001/|title=Historic night for Peoria: Rita Ali sworn in as city's first female, Black mayor|first=Andy|last=Kravetz|publisher=Journal Star|date=4 May 2021|accessdate=5 May 2021|archive-date=5 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505124503/https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/government/2021/05/04/rita-ali-first-female-black-mayor-peoria-illinois-election-history/4931719001/|url-status=live}}

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External links

[http://www.peoriagov.org/mayors-office/ Mayor's office] at PeoriaGov
[https://ritaali.com/ Rita Ali for Mayor of Peoria, Illinois] (Ali's campaign website; provides details about her personal life). Peoria, Illinois: Citizens to Elect Ali (retrieved online May 25, 2021).

Category:Living people

Category:Illinois Democrats

Category:Mayors of Peoria, Illinois

Category:Peoria, Illinois City Council members

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century mayors of places in Illinois

Category:Women mayors of places in Illinois

Category:African-American mayors in Illinois

Category:University of Illinois at Springfield alumni

Category:Capella University alumni

Category:African-American women mayors

Category:21st-century African-American politicians