(Kelly Sullivan / Getty Images) |
By Marianne Schnall | This Women’s History Month, as we honor the many women who have helped shape this country throughout the years, I had the opportunity to speak with one such history maker, former longtime U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).
As the first Black woman elected to the State Assembly, State Senate and Congress from Northern California and the highest ranking Black woman appointed to Democratic leadership, Lee has had a trailblazing nearly three-decade political career. She is known for spearheading the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), being the sole no vote against the authorization of war after 9/11, and for fighting for peace, women’s rights, racial equity, climate action, ending poverty and increasing Black women’s representation in politics.
After serving as a U.S. representative for 27 years, Lee decided not to seek reelection in 2024 in order to run for Senate. Although she was defeated in the Senate primary and left Congress in January, Lee may be poised to make history a second time, as she is currently running for Oakland mayor and, if elected, would be the first Black woman mayor of Oakland.
In my conversation with Lee, she shares her take on what has been transpiring in Congress and the country since Trump took office, what lessons can we learn from history that can give us perspective or inspiration right now, what wisdom she imagines her mentor Shirley Chisholm would offer in this moment, her call to action and more.
(Click here to read more) |
