Alma S. Adams
DemocratU.S. Representative, NC-12| Age | 80 (b. 1946-05-27) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2014-11-12 (~11 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American |
| Education | B.S. (Art Education, 1968) and M.S. (Art Education, 1972) from North Carolina A&T State University; Ph.D. (Art Education and Multicultural Education, 1981) from Ohio State University |
| Prior occupation | Artist and college professor; art professor and administrator at Bennett College (Greensboro, NC) for roughly 40 years until 2012; co-founder of the African American Atelier gallery (1990) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | High Point, North Carolina |
| Marital status | Divorced — Billy E. Adams Sr. (former husband, deceased February 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Charlotte, North Carolina |
Pending research: religion · languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2014 |
| Previous offices | Greensboro City School Board (1984-1986) · Greensboro City Council (1987-1994) · North Carolina House of Representatives (1994-2014) |
| Committees | Committee on Agriculture · Committee on Education and Workforce (Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Progressive Caucus · Congressional Black Caucus · Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus (founder and co-chair) · Black Maternal Health Caucus (co-founder and co-chair) · Blue Collar Caucus · Congressional Arts Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus |
| Leadership | Founder and Co-Chair, Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus (2015) · Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Black Maternal Health Caucus (2019) · Chair, North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus (state legislature) |
| Ideology | Consistently ranked as the most politically left member of the North Carolina congressional delegation (GovTrack) |
| Signature legislation | African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act (introduced 2022, enacted via FY2023 omnibus) · Co-founding legislation/advocacy for HBCU funding through the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus · Black Maternal Health 'Momnibus' advocacy via the Black Maternal Health Caucus |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $407,500–$407,502 (2018) · estimate
| TIAA-CREF Annuity Account | fund · $375,000–$375,000 · 2018 |
| North Carolina Legislative Retirement System Plan | fund · $32,500–$32,500 · 2018 |
Top donors: Commercial Banks (industry total) ($48,245) · Duke Energy ($10,350)
Top industries: Commercial Banks · Electric Utilities (Duke Energy)
Scandals & crimes ledger
closed - no violation found — House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged relationship with staffer
Following a complaint filed in summer 2022, the House Ethics Committee investigated allegations that Rep. Adams had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, later identified as her deputy chief of staff and district director Sandra Brown. Over several months in 2023, committee staff interviewed roughly half a dozen current and former aides in Washington, D.C. and Charlotte, N.C. The previously unreported investigation was closed with the committee finding no violation of House Rules and no inappropriate or improper relationship, though it advised Adams to take steps to avoid any appearance of preferential treatment toward staff. The matter was first publicly reported by NOTUS in April 2026.
resolved — Citation for crowding/obstructing during Supreme Court abortion-rights protest
Rep. Adams was among a group of roughly a dozen Democratic members of Congress arrested by U.S. Capitol Police outside the Supreme Court building on July 19, 2022, during a demonstration for abortion rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She was cited for 'crowding, obstructing, or incommoding' after she and other demonstrators declined police requests to clear the area, and was fined $50, which she indicated she would pay.