Muslim woman running for U.S. Congress

Cheryl Sudduth is making history; she is the second Muslim woman to run for Congress in the United States. A 2014 democratic candidate, she is seeking election to the House of Representatives to represent the 11th congressional district of California; which consists of portions of Contra Costa County.
Many believe that she is the right person for this job and she is backed by women in her district, by the Muslim community, and the African American community.
“We still need more women legislators ensuring women’s issues are priority,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
Cheryl has spent a lifetime advocating for underserved youth, people with disabilities, and those living in disadvantaged conditions. She is well-known for providing job opportunities and training for hundreds of underprivileged men and women.
Cheryl’s unrelenting pursuit of equality is witnessed in her actions. Over the course of the past eight years, she has created hundreds of opportunities for youth to gain invaluable life skills through sports through her non-profit club, ‘ICYSports’. Through her volunteer work as a mentor, life coach, and etiquette trainer for young women, she has positively affected the lives of thousands of individuals.
She has fought steadily to hold elected officials accountable for public safety and fiscal responsibility. She has campaigned tirelessly for not just equal pay but fair pay, fighting gender, ethnic, and racial discrimination in the workplace. She believes that all people must be adequately educated and competent to compete in a global environment.
The center of her focus will be on improving the public education system, which she views as a financial investment, which will help close the achievement gap and subsequent economic disparities among underserved and vulnerable members of the community. Individuals need choices — real choices in education and job training. She aims for building a diverse workforce trained in a number of settings that best suits individual workers – college-based learning, industry training, skills-based learning, technology or technical training, hands-on or experiential or on-the-job training.
With a proven history of creating jobs for those considered ‘unemployable’, she will utilize her extensive experience to help create high quality jobs and create innovative ways to employ more people. As Senior Director of Contracts for Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, Cheryl developed their employment strategy and helps shape their employment and training programs for people with significant disabilities. These programs have been instrumental in assisting hundreds of workers with disabilities to achieve self-sufficiency.
Supporters say that her expertise in negotiations, mediation, and problem resolution, along with her willingness to work tirelessly will make things happen for the district, the state, and the nation.
The proud mother of two sons and a daughter, Cheryl presents a much-needed voice in Congress, dedicated to social and economic justice, international peace, civil and human rights, safe communities, job training, affordable health care, higher wages, and protection of women’s rights.
Cheryl believes the best method of knowing what’s right for women is to start by asking women. That begins by ensuring women have seats at the decision-making tables – including legislative bodies, especially legislative seats.
All women, Muslim women too, must be represented at levels of equity and diversity as they are part of the American society. This starts today with women like Cheryl who are willing to step forward to lead the next generation.
Cheryl has established a stellar reputation for principled and independent leadership, unafraid to take on tough issues, create sound resolutions, and speak her mind for those she represents, for a more just society, a better America, a safer world. –Saudi Gazette