Elaine oneal biography

American politician and judge

Elaine M. O'Neal (born 1962) is an American attorney, academic administrator, judge, and politician who served as the mayor of Durham, North Carolina from 2021 to 2023. O'Neal is the city's first female African-American mayor.^[1][2] Prior to serving as mayor, O'Neal was the first woman appointed as chief district court judge in Durham County and the first woman North Carolina Superior Court judge in Durham County.

She served as an interim dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Law from 2018 to 2020.

Early life and education

O'Neal was born in Durham in 1962 and grew up in the West End community, spending much of her childhood at the Pauli Murray Family Home.^[3][4] She is the youngest of five children.^[4] Her parents were active in the local community; her mother, Nakoda, worked in electoral precincts and served as a school parent–teacher association