John, I found some photos from when I was younger that I would like to share with you.

I was born in El Paso, Texas, via an emergency forceps delivery. My mother's pregnancy wasn't particularly dangerous – but because she was initially denied admission to the hospital while in active labor due to the color of her skin, we both nearly died.

Throughout my childhood, my family and I continued to be treated as lesser. My father was a lieutenant colonel and my mother served as the first Black clerical worker in Fort Bliss – and still, despite all the service they provided for our nation, we were judged by the color of our skin.

But, while my parents couldn't control how the world treated me, they could control how I was taught to treat the world. So they taught me to keep my chin high and never settle for less than I deserved. 

When I was just 15 – after we moved from the deeply segregated South to California – I wanted to be a cheerleader at my high school. But I didn't look like the kind of person the selection committee would choose for the all-white girls cheer team. So I partnered with the NAACP and became my school's first Black girl cheerleader. 

I then went on to become the president of Mills College's Black Student Union, where I had the honor of meeting our nation's first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm. She took one look at me – a young single mother who was so passionate about getting an education that I even took my boys with me to class when I couldn't afford child care – and knew that I would one day create the change that women like me needed. I heeded Rep. Chisholm's words and registered to vote, thus beginning a long journey that ended in Washington, D.C.

And when I saw the opportunity to represent California's 12th Congressional District, I put my head down and worked hard – winning the special election and following in Shirley Chisholm's footsteps.

Now, I'm the only Black woman in the California Senate primary – and I'm ready to take the experience, struggles and voice of Black women to the Senate. 

John, with just 32 days to go until the election, the latest polls show this race is wide open. So please, to help me leave my mark, build a progressive future that works for all and become our nation's fourth Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate:

Can I count on you to chip in $5 or more now so that Black women can have a voice in the Senate for years to come?

Thank you for taking this trip down memory lane with me.

Barbara Lee