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Three 'sisters' making history

Angela Okafor, Marwa Hassanien and Tania Jean-Jaques are great friends. They even call each other sisters. Now, they're serving on boards to bring diversity to Maine

BANGOR, Maine — For Angela Okafor, Marwa Hassanien and Tania Jean-Jaques, being elected to local offices is a dream come true.

"It was a dream of ours to all be in office together," Hassanien said.

Serving in office together, and making history together.

Okafor is the first woman of color on the Bangor City Council.

Hassanien is the first women of color on the Bangor School Board

And Jean-Jaques is the first woman of color on the Hampden School board.

The trio says our state is becoming more diverse.

"So important for elected officials to represent the demographic that they are elected to serve," Jean-Jaques said.

They hope to bring a new perspective to the boards they have just been elected to.

"How you see and perceive things is not the same as with me. My background is different. Yours is different," Okafor said.

"Diversity matters," Hassanien added.

It all started with a group of minority women that would get together to share their struggles.

"So we're just sitting here venting to one another. We need to get on these boards. Get on these councils. And really have an impact." Hassanien said.

So that's what they're doing, together.

"They are friends that turned to sisters," Okafor said

The three sisters will be sworn into their respective roles later this year.

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