Barbara Lee: “I thank Representative Jackson Lee for yielding and also for her tremendous work in advancing this bill to the floor…”

“I thank Representative Jackson Lee for yielding and also for her tremendous work in advancing this bill to the floor, and also to Chairman Nadler and his support for this legislation. Also, I want to thank and acknowledge Representatives Richmond, Fudge, and Pressley for their tremendous leadership and vision for putting this bill together, and I am in strong support of it. Mr. Speaker, this morning I thought about our beloved John Lewis and how he made good trouble all of his life. He was an original cosponsor of this bill, and this bill is an example of how we make good trouble to end discrimination. This bill will prohibit, finally, discrimination based on an individual's style or texture of hair, commonly associated with the race or national origin in the definition of racial discrimination. It is really hard for me to believe that we have to introduce this bill in the 21st century, and so I just want to thank our advocates who have worked so hard to bring this bill to the floor. As one who has worn her hair as I chose, including natural, I have had many unpleasant encounters with people who told me I did not look like a Member of Congress because of my hair, over and over again. Discrimination against African Americans in schools and in the workplace is real, and it is a continued barrier to equality in our country. Black men and women continue to face workplace stereotypes and are pressured to adopt White standards of beauty and professionalism.…”