After serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for 25 years, Congresswoman Barbara Lee is preparing to leave her congressional seat in January. However, the 78-year-old trailblazer isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Trailblazing Career Spanning Decades of Service
Lee’s political journey began when she volunteered for the presidential campaign of another pioneering Black woman, Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Lee went on to become the first Black woman to serve in the California State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives from Northern California.
“I have been, and still am, the only Black woman north of Los Angeles elected to the California Senate. Think about that: that’s darn near 40 years, right? So my responsibility was to make sure I wasn’t the only and last but to do everything I could to prepare other women of color to run for public office,” Lee reflected.
Unwavering Commitment to Social Justice and Equality
Throughout her career, Lee has been a tireless advocate for social justice, economic equality, and civil rights. She fought to save millions of lives by driving HIV/AIDS initiatives and worked across the aisle with President George W. Bush on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Lee also made a bold stand as the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization of military force following the 9/11 attacks, a decision she stands by today.
Forging Ahead Beyond the Halls of Congress
While Lee’s tenure in Congress is coming to an end, she has no plans to retire. Instead, she’s “forging ahead” to continue her work on unfinished priorities, such as repealing the military force authorizations she opposed.
“I’m really not retiring, I’m forging ahead,” Lee said. “If it doesn’t get done now, I’ll keep working on the outside to be part of the outside agitators, to get a lot done that I haven’t been able to complete.”
Mentoring the Next Generation of Diverse Leaders
Throughout her career, Lee has also made it a priority to pave the way for other women of color in politics. She has worked to ensure that she wasn’t the “only and last” Black woman elected to high-level positions in California.
“You’re constantly running a race on many fronts if you’re a Black woman, if you’re a woman, if you’re a woman of color. So it’s constant; this is a marathon, not a sprint,” Lee explained.