John – I want to do something different today and tell you the story from my childhood.

I grew up in segregated El Paso, Texas, where my sisters and I were the only Black girls in my school.

When I moved to California, I hoped I could have a fresh start, turning the page from the blatant racism my sister and I faced in Texas. 

But when I tried to join the cheerleading squad at San Fernando High School, I was turned away. If you weren't blonde and blue-eyed, you couldn't join. 

Instead of accepting the status quo, I enlisted the local chapter of the NAACP to my cause. With their help, I changed the way cheerleaders were selected and became the first Black cheerleader in my high school's history.

Unfortunately, my story is not unique, and stories like this aren't confined to the past. 

Black and brown children are still facing the same challenges I did decades later. That's why I'm fighting in Washington to eliminate racial inequity, uplift marginalized communities and secure a progressive future for us all.

I'm seriously considering taking this fight to the Senate, but I need to know you're with me. Will you chip in $5 or more to power our progressive movement and build a country that works for all people?

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Thank you for all that you do.

– Barbara Lee



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