By Mihret Amare
Ayanna Pressley, an unapologetic Black Congresswoman defying stereotypes and fighting for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Despite the many hardships she has faced, Congresswoman Pressley managed to be the first Black woman elected to Congress in the state of Massachusetts. What truly inspires me is her bravery and ability to unite others. I remember vividly scrolling through Instagram as I came across a post captioned “A Word: Alopecia,” which was a video the congresswoman created to share her story about living with Alopecia. Looking back on the days when she wore Senegalese twists and braids, she said that it was a statement and something she did intentionally. The affirmation that she received about her hair from the community and little Black girls meant a lot to her, but she realized that she needed to free herself of this secret in order to find herself and help others do the same.
In her video, she said, “I am not here just to occupy space, I’m here to create it.”
She now walks the halls of Congress with her baldness – proudly and unapologetically. We needed Black representation. We needed someone who looks like us to show us that we don’t have to come from a certain background to be influential, and Congresswoman Pressley was that light. My Congresswoman wears hoop earrings and bold lipstick.
My Congresswomen is an inspiration.