Barbara Lee, the US Representative for California’s 13 District, has spent her life fighting inequality and racism, uplifting the stories of those falling through the cracks and speaking truth to power. Lee was the lone vote against giving President George W. Bush unlimited military authority in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and as a result she received death threats after being denounced by many in the press. Yet thousands of members of Lee’s district welcomed her home with support and love, coining the phrase, “Barbara Lee Speaks for Me.” The current protests and reactions to George Floyd’s death has only elevated her visibility in Congress and the country as she has called for a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Commission to confront the legacy of slavery and racism in the U.S.
Directed by Peabody Award-Winning filmmaker Abby Ginzberg, this powerful and timely documentary features interviews from Senator Cory Booker, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, CNN commentator Van Jones, actor Danny Glover and author Alice Walker who share insights about what makes Barbara Lee unique as a public servant and as a truth-telling African American woman.
