Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to VP Harris’ Interview with the National Association of Black Journalists

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to VP Harris' Interview with the National Association of Black Journalists

WASHINGTON - Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris was interviewed by the National Association of Black Journalists. During the interview, Harris was asked about race relations and reparations and was asked to specifically comment on efforts made by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) and the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) to have the Biden-Harris administration take executive action on racial equity and reparative justice legislation.

Lee and Jackson Lee were joined by 150 organizations and individuals in writing a letter to the administration in February of 2024.

The Vice President responded to the question by noting the need for a national acknowledgement of truth and history. "We just need to speak truth about history. In spite of the fact that some people try and erase history and try and teach our children otherwise," Harris said during the 45-minute sit-down interview in Philadelphia. "We need to speak truth about the generational impact of our history in terms of the generational impact of slavery, the generational impact of redlining, of Jim Crow laws."

"I am pleased that Vice President Harris acknowledged the important role truth plays in our quest for racial healing and transformation," said Congresswoman Lee. "My legislation to establish a commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation would usher in a truth-telling moment, educating and informing the public about the historical context for the current racial inequalities we witness each and every day."