Hey John, Summer here.
I wanted to tell you a bit about my story today, and how I became the first Black Congresswoman to represent Pennsylvania.
I was raised by an amazing mother who worked multiple jobs to keep our family afloat. Growing up, we relied on food assistance when times were tough.
I became the first in my family to go to college when I attended Penn State on a Pell Grant. From there, I headed to Howard University law school where I served as a student attorney in the civil rights clinic. With my degree in hand, I headed home to serve my community.
At home, I led the successful campaign to unseat local school board members who failed to address repeated incidents of police and faculty violence against students at my old high school. I organized to defeat Donald Trump in 2016, with the Fight for $15, and founded UNITE! to support progressive candidates in Western Pennsylvania.
After serving in the Pennsylvania State House, I decided to run for Congress because I realized PA-12 deserved a representative who would truly deliver for working families. Against plenty of odds, on November 8, 2022, I made history when I was elected Pennsylvania's first Black Congresswoman.
John, my path to Congress wasn't by any means normal. And I'm not by any means a normal member of Congress. I'm not a white man, don't have a trust fund, and don't play by lobbyist's rules.
That's what makes our movement so important — it's 100% people-powered. But I don't take a cent from corporate PACs, so in order to sustain this work, I rely on the support of everyday folks like you.
With a whole lot of gratitude,
Summer
