Nyamal Dei
FARGO (KFGO) – Five people, including four newcomers, were elected to the Fargo School Board Tuesday, ousting three incumbents. One of those newcomers is Nyamal Dei, and long-time political observers in Fargo think her win may be a historic one for the city: Dei is believed to be the first Black person elected to any office in Fargo’s history.
Asked for her reaction to her landmark win, Dei reflected on the challenges of her campaign. She said she was met with some hostility as she knocked on 4000 doors in Fargo, but the good outweighed the bad.
“It’s still disbelief to me, because of the things that were mentioned during my door knocks, but I still got other incredible residents who were good hearted – it’s not just a win for me, it’s a win for them, because without them offering me water while I was walking…they saw how much hard work I put in. I’m grateful,” she said.
Dei got emotional when she reflected on her journey to get to this point. She is a refugee of South Sudan, where she said she saw atrocities while fleeing the country. She came to the U.S. at age 10. Last year she obtained her masters in public health and now works in the industry. She has a 16-year-old daughter in the Fargo Public Schools.
Dei said her priorities on the school board will be the mental health of students and teachers, retaining high quality teachers and staff, and highlighting the importance of diversity in Fargo schools.
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