TANTV chronicles the strides of Africans, immigrants and multicultural individuals living in America. We cover the intersection of politics, business, wealth, technology, fashion and lifestyle with a focus on increasing representation. We visited Remi Duyile at her home to chat about her political campaign as Maryland delegate in district 23B of Prince George’s County. Learn more about Remi Duyile’s campaign HERE.
TANTV encourages citizens to vote. Visit the Maryland Elected Officials website Primary Election – June 28, 2022 and General Election – November 8, 2022.
Remi Duyile emigrated to the United State from Nigeria at the age of seventeen to further her education. Her journey and story as an African immigrant in the United States is one of hustle, drive, hard work, dreams deferred and then fulfilled. This journey bolstered in her a deep seated passion to advance the cause of minorities.
While Duyile’s story is not unlike the story of the American immigrant, the level of ‘success’ she has attained is quite impressive. She completed her MBA at the University of the District of Columbia and grew in ranks to serve as the Vice President of Bank of America. With an amassed 30 years experience in business leadership, community outreach and advocacy, politics is her next frontier and advocating for the rights of minorities is the top priority on her mind. She describes her political ambition as advocating for Black people and People of Color, the economically marginalized, immigrants, senior citizens, veterans and small business owners.
As a Nigerian-American, Duyile’s ambition in politics is to advocate for people with similar minority backgrounds, beginning at the local level as a State delegate in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, District 23B.
District 23 is split into two subdivisions, 23A and 23B which covers areas like the city of Bowie and the town of Upper Marlboro. The State Senator of District 23B is Ronald L. Watson and the current District 23B State Delegates are Marvin E. Holmes Jr. and Cheryl S. Landis. District 23 is a unique district. According to Wtopnews, for the past two decades, the district has been split into sub-districts to ensure that the demographically fluid area has Black representation. This split paved the way for Holmes’ election in 2002, and enabled Watson, now the district’s first Black senator, to oust veteran Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr., the decades-long chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in the 2018 Democratic primary. Today, the district has followed the rest of Prince George’s County and is now majority-Black, likely eliminating the need for carved-out subdistricts when the General Assembly redraws the legislative map.
Duyile, will likely be the first African and Nigerian-born to occupy a seat in this district if she wins as State delegate. She says,
Representation is important because goodwill does not equate to understanding. There are aspects of my life and history that someone will not understand because they have not lived it. Even a leader who listens to the experiences of others may not understand how certain situations have affected members of those groups. This is why women, minorities, and members of other marginalized groups need representation in leadership positions throughout our country.
House representatives make decisions that affect our day to day lives on a very local level such as developing budget packages, making taxation decisions, passing legislation, allocating spending, and redistricting in collaboration with other house members and the state senate. . With 141 members, the Maryland State House of Delegates is the lower house of the bicameral Maryland State Legislature. Each delegate represents one district (about 42,382 constituents per representative) and serves a four-year term, with no limit on the number of terms served.
Duyile’s track record speaks for what she could achieve as State delegate. She currently works as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University and formerly served as a board member of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of Dr. James Dula. While at the Chambers, she brought in investments from multinational corporations to Prince George’s County.
She’s also a serial entrepreneur and C.E.O of several businesses in Prince George’s County, including endeavors in real estate, mortgage brokerage, and corporate consulting. Each business, she says, has brought employment opportunities and tax revenue to our community.
I want people to know that my work in the community reflects my heart. I have always worked to empower and serve others. I am a board member of the Sisters 4 Sisters Network, which provides resources, mentorship, and opportunities for young women of color. I also served on the board of my church, Jesus House DC, and various other organizations.
In outlining her top goals for the district, Duyile says her priorities include expanding economic inclusion for workforce and small business development by using her experiences from the Bank of America and the Small Business Administration to connect companies to resources, funding, and opportunities. Empowering our education systems, she says, is a goal that she will champion in Annapolis.
I have a broad platform that seeks to advocate for every member of my community, but Some of my top goals are to expand economic inclusion as well as workforce and small business development. Regarding economic matters, I understand the roles of both employees and business owners. I’ve never forgotten what it’s like to be an entry-level worker.
For the African community and foreign born immigrants , she identifies immigration, employment/business opportunities, and education as some of the greatest issues facing this subset. “Foreign born students are typically not entitled to the same federal financial aid that their classmates are. To remedy this issue, I would push for the university system of Maryland to create grants and scholarships specifically for immigrants. Likewise, I would work to create business grants and loans specifically designed to benefit members of the African community, immigrants, and other underrepresented groups. I would advocate for the creation of programs that allow immigrants greater work opportunities by providing incentives to companies willing to sponsor and train them. I would also work to connect people with immigration lawyers and caseworkers to help those who desire it along the path to citizenship.” says Duyile.
When asked the one thing the candidate wants citizens to know about her, she says, “ I have lived in this community for nearly 40 years. I care deeply for the needs of all of my neighbors, many of which I share. I want people to know that I am running for them; to make their communities stronger and safer, to provide opportunities for their children and grandchildren, and to make sure that their voices are heard.”
Learn more about Remi Duyile’s campaign: https://voteremiduyile.com/
TANTV Editorial Team:
Producer & Writer : Adedayo Fashanu
Videography & DP: Christopher Okonkwo
Article Editor: Adeola Fadumiye
