Lee-dership Moment

U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Barbara Lee shares her progressive message with members of the Clark County Black Caucus.

BY YVETTE WILLIAMS

The Clark County Black Caucus was thrilled to welcome progressive Rep. Barbara Lee to Las Vegas on Aug. 12 — introducing the progressive congresswoman from California to our community as she gears up for a very tight 2024 U.S. Senate race. 

Lee enjoys strong grassroots enthusiasm and support among young voters, which has enabled her to poll neck-and-neck with better-funded opponents — in a campaign that has thus far epitomized the well-documented fundraising struggles that Black women candidates experience when compared to their white peers. 

There are currently no Black women in the Senate — and if California voters choose Lee, she would be only the third African-American woman ever elected to the upper legislative chamber. “Black women have only served a total of 10 years in the over 240 years of Congress, and with so many of us Nevadans with ties in California, we believe it is important to support a proven leader that will continue to represent our interest on Capitol Hill,” said Clark County Black Caucus chair Yvette Williams. 

The morning began with a private breakfast hosted at Mariposa Cantina. The host committee included Williams, Go Urban Las Vegas, Devin Moore, Raw Development, Pastor Dr. Kelcey West, Marco Rauda, Ash Merchandani, Gentry Richardson and both Assemblywoman Brittney Miller and Assemblyman Reuben D’Silva, who shared remarks with the crowd. 

That afternoon, the community was invited to a meet-and-greet hosted at Nehemiah Ministries and co-hosted with the Delta Sigma Theta Las Vegas Chapter, 100 Black Men Las Vegas, and the Clark County Black Caucus. North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown provided a warm welcome on behalf of Clark County. Congresswoman Lee shared her record in Congress and the many bills she has sponsored and cosponsored on social justice issues. History remembers her as the only dissenting vote in Congress who stood firm against entering a war in Iraq. She continues to lead on issues of mental health, environment, racial and social justice, and has a deep concern for those struggling in our economy. She is a former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and founding Chair of the Progressive Caucus. 

For more information about the Clark County Black Caucus, visit CCBlackCaucus.com.