Hi there, I’m a big believer in role models. I’m fortunate to have many. As a little girl, one of the people I looked up to was my grandmother — my mother’s mother. She worked at a ball-bearing plant as a steelworker at a time when there were very few women in that position, and she went on to become a union leader. Like any mom, she was concerned about keeping her neighborhood safe for her children and fought against the influx of drugs and guns where she lived. She may not have thought of herself as an activist, but in my mind she certainly was one. Her leadership and fearlessness is something I think about often. As a young person, I was lucky that my first bosses were strong women who guided me and pushed me. They gave me confidence in myself and reinforced the same values my family instilled: working hard, leveling the playing field, and extending a hand to those who need it. Now, I take those values with me every day in Congress and in my personal life. While there is reason to look at today’s role models for young people with skepticism, there is also reason for hope. Today’s Congress has a record number of women. The Democratic Party has our first person of color serving as House Minority Leader. But the reality is that right now, there are no Black women in the Senate. And the House has a long way to go before it looks like the people it serves. Women are still a long way from making up 50% of elected officeholders, and the LGBTQ+ community is underrepresented in American politics. I know how important it is to have role models who look like you, and I know how much representation matters. That’s why I’ll always be an advocate for inclusion. Thanks for listening, Lisa
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