Paris grew up in Durham with a single mom, and was raised by a village of aunties and uncles. She moved to Chapel Hill to start a family with her husband who is a Chapel Hill native of 8 generations . She’s fully steeped in community and no issue--not housing affordability, public safety, economic development, or environmentalism-- is theoretical to her. She’s lived it. She’s first-hand experienced what representation and community does to uplift those in our society who are often left in the margins.
Paris running for office is the culmination of her many roles in our community. She’s on the board of EmPOWERment Inc. and the Marian Cheek Jackson Center. She serves on the Chapel Hill Community Policing Advisory Committee and the Re-Imagining Community Safety Taskforce. In 2021 she was sworn in as the Secretary of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP.
Paris works at the Inter-Faith Council for Social Services , developing the next generation of leaders to engage in and serve our community.
Paris is an educator by profession. She was an English professor at St. Augustine’s University. She has a degree in English from UNC Greensboro and a Master’s Degree in English and Master’s Degree in School Administration from North Carolina Central University.