Hampton Roads Community News

Suffolk Voters Elect First Black Woman To Join City Council

Ebony Wright, a longtime community activist, has made history as the first Black woman elected to the Suffolk City Council, representing the Sleepy Hole Borough. Wright’s platform focused on infrastructure, public safety, small business support, and school improvements, reflecting her commitment to Suffolk’s long-term growth and development.

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SUFFOLK

With provisional votes outstanding, Ebony Wright is projected to win against three-term incumbent Roger Fawcett with 53 percent of the vote compared to his 46 percent for Suffolk City Council in the Sleepy Hole Borough.

A longtime community activist, Wright will become the first minority/African-American woman to serve on Suffolk City Council. She attributes her success to the efforts of the three women who served before her: Marian “Bea” Rogers, her mentor former Mayor Linda Johnson and current Suffolk City Councilwoman Shelley Butler Barlow.

Wright said she ran for city council because she is passionate about the welfare of the residents of Suffolk and wants to influence the city’s direction. As a longtime resident, she believes she won voters with her desire to create a long-term plan to improve her community, promote sustainable economic development and work on core infrastructure needs.

Her top campaign priorities were: Infrastructure to include neighborhood revitalization; Public Safety; Small Business; and Schools.

After the California native graduated from high school, she joined the United States Navy at the age of 17 where she served on active duty for four years and received an honorable discharge. She is a career civil servant and has held various positions with the federal government.

Wright is active across Hampton Roads as a community leader and supports numerous non-profit, faith-based and volunteer organizations. She is the founder and president of a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to students in Suffolk Public Schools.

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Wright is a graduate of Saint Leo University where she earned a B.A. in Criminology and an MBA. She also holds a post-master’s certificate in Management Essentials from Harvard Business School.

The newly elected councilwoman has been married to her husband Warren for 25 years and they have three adult children (two daughters and a son), a granddaughter and a puggle named Dansby.