Stormie Forte

{{infobox officeholder

|name=Stormie Forte

|image=

|office= Mayor Pro Tempore of Raleigh, North Carolina

|term_start=2024

|term_end=

|predecessor=Corey Branch

|successor=

|office1=Raleigh City Councilwoman

|term_start1= July 14, 2020

|term_end1=

|preceded1=Saige Martin

|succeeded1=

|birth_name=Stormie Denise Forte

|birth_date=

|birth_place=Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.

|party=Democratic

|spouse=

|education= Needham B. Broughton High School

|alma_mater= University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA, MS)
North Carolina Central University (JD)

|residence=Raleigh, North Carolina

|occupation= lawyer, radio host

}}

Stormie Denise Forte is an American lawyer, radio host, and politician. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Raleigh City Council. She was appointed to the council on July 14, 2020 and represents District D, which encompasses Southwest Raleigh. On July 8, 2022, Stormie filed to run for Raleigh's at-large district in the 2022 Raleigh election.

Biography

Forte is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from Needham B. Broughton High School in 1989.{{Cite web|url=http://www.broughton89.com/|title=Needham Broughton High School Class Of 1989 Alumni, Raleigh, NC|website=www.broughton89.com}} She has a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and a master of science degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Forte is a member of Delta Sigma Theta. She graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 2002.

Forte was appointed to the Raleigh City Council on July 14, 2020, making her the first African-American woman to serve on the council.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rhinotimes.com/news/raleigh-city-council-way-behind-greensboro-in-diversity/|title=Raleigh City Council Way Behind Greensboro In Diversity|date=July 15, 2020|website=The Rhino Times of Greensboro}} {{citation needed span|She is also the first openly LGBTQ woman, and third openly LGBTQ person after Saige Martin and Jonathan Melton, to serve on the council.|date=August 2023}} She is the Representative of Raleigh's District D, which includes North Carolina State University, Glenwood South, and Dix Hill.{{Cite web|url=https://indyweek.com/api/content/fd119ef2-c60c-11ea-a08c-1244d5f7c7c6/|title=Stormie Forte Appointed to Replace Saige Martin as Raleigh's District D Representative|first=Leigh|last=Tauss|date=July 14, 2020|website=INDY Week |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716030510/https://indyweek.com/news/wake/stormie-forte-appointed-replace-saige-martin-raleigh-council/ |archive-date= 2020-07-16|url-status=dead}} Forte filled a vacant seat on the council, which had belonged to Martin.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=15 July 2020|title=North Carolina capitol city gets first Black councilwoman|url=https://www.wbtv.com/2020/07/14/north-carolina-capitol-city-gets-first-black-councilwoman/|access-date=|website=}} Martin resigned from the council due to sexual assault allegations.{{Cite web|url=https://raltoday.6amcity.com/stormie-forte-district-d-raleigh/|title=Meet Stormie Forte, the new city council representative for District D|first=Erin|last=McPherson|date=July 14, 2020}} Forte was elected by members of the city council, and by Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, out of fifty-four candidates. She received 6 out of the 7 votes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wxii12.com/article/raleigh-first-black-councilwoman-stormie-forte/33329090|title=First Black councilwoman chosen by city council in Raleigh|agency=Associated Press|date=July 15, 2020|website=WXII}} She ran with a platform to create access to more affordable housing, address concerns related to tensions between citizens and the Raleigh Police Department, and to create more economic development opportunities for local minority-owned small businesses. On being appointed, Forte stated: “I can honestly say I am a little emotional thinking of the historical impact of being selected. Being Black and being female and being a person within the LGBTQ community — all those things make up the person I am.”

Forte is a lawyer.{{Cite web|url=https://abc11.com/6317121/|title=Raleigh City Council appoints first Black woman to fill council seat vacated after sexual misconduct allegations|date=July 14, 2020|website=ABC11 Raleigh-Durham}} She works at Obsidian Consulting Services, where she works with local companies and business organizations. She is also a volunteer with the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon & Half Marathon, Hopscotch Music Festival, Rex Hospital Open, and the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wral.com/raleigh-city-council-chooses-first-african-american-woman-to-fill-vacant-district-d-seat/19188619/|title=Raleigh City Council chooses first African-American woman to fill vacant District D seat|date=July 14, 2020|website=WRAL.com}} She is also a member of the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association and the Wake County Voter Education Coalition.{{Cite web|url=https://raleighconvergence.com/2020/07/12/here-are-the-top-candidates-to-for-the-district-d-seat-in-raleigh/|title=Stormie Forte will be the newest Raleigh City Council member|date=July 12, 2020|website=Raleigh Convergence}} She serves on the North Carolina Science Museum Friends Advisory Board, the Clarence Y Lightner Achiever's Advisory Board, the North Carolina Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and University Ethics Bowl Advisory Committee.

Forte also hosts a weekly radio show, called The Art of Listening, on Choice FM 92.1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/15/first-black-lgbtq-councilwoman-chosen-north-carolina-capitol-city-council/5441513002/|title=North Carolina capitol city chooses its first Black councilwoman|website=USA TODAY}}