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Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
@AyannaPressley
Jul 4, 2019 • 6 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
"Our founding fathers were not living gods...they were fallible human beings." The Declaration of Independence "did not condemn slavery, protect the rights of women or include Native Americans." salon.com/2019/07/04/fou…
The impact of the prejudices, biases & contradictions codified by our founding fathers is still felt today. We continue to struggle as a nation to embrace our full history, one that includes family separation of black families at the auction block & today of migrants at camps.
A country that has yet to realize it's full promise for every person that calls it home & indeed makes it great, & yet it is a free country, one where I can resist, offer dissenting & critical opinion & challenge with bold activist leadership.
Dissent is the ultimate patriotism, & as such I will continue to be a patriot. On this day, I am grateful for the freedoms afforded me in this country to do so. #resist #HappyFourthOfJuly
"I love America more than any other country in this world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." -James Baldwin But not only to criticize, to also celebrate & most of all to Work
To Work daily in coalition to preserve what is good & working, & to dismantle what is broken while mitigating the hurt caused by broken systems. The Work of progress & realizing a more equitable & just world never stops, but today we pause to reflect & fortify for the Work ahead.

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More from @AyannaPressley

Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Jun 19, 2022
I am 48yo & only recently started calling my father, Dad. It was a conscious choice as he has finally earned my trust after decades of absence & disappointments. Our relationship is finally genuine, not contrived, it is meaningful & safe. I feel loved & sacred in his presence.
My Dad, Martin is a retired college professor & published author. For decades the world was robbed of his brilliance due to the disease of addiction & I was robbed of his presence due to a legal system which criminalized his disease.
While incarcerated, Martin never stopped writing me. However, due to my own hurt, I stopped reading them but still saved them. However, I always read the books he sent & my love for poetry & the Harlem Renaissance is owed to his parenting from behind the wall.
Read 6 tweets
Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Jun 19, 2022
Today is #Juneteenth. A holiday my family and I have celebrated for decades—but that has only been observed as an official federal holiday as of 2021.

Some may wonder, why does this day matter? Why is national recognition so significant, and so long overdue? 🧵
It matters because, as we celebrate Juneteenth—the day that marks the emancipation of my enslaved ancestors—it is a truth-telling reminder of our nation’s history and founding.
But it is also a reminder of what's possible.

When enslaved Black people and allies began the work of abolition, many considered the goal of freedom an impossible one.
Read 6 tweets
Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Jun 19, 2022
May every child know the safety of a love like this. #HappyFathersDay to the best #GirlDad my husband, Conan. Cora has been nurtured by your love, covered by your prayers & inspired by your example. She is kind, smart, strong, confident, & knows her worth. Image
What a gift it has been to see your love deepen & your bond strengthen with each year. Image
I remember the care & pride you took w/doing her hair, carrying her on your shoulders, being the only one that could quiet her cries as a baby, your patience when teaching her to ride a bike or to solve a math problem. She will contd to grow & change but one constant remains.
Read 5 tweets
Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Mar 31, 2022
In the words of my dear friend & scholar @sandylocks,

If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks.

This #WomensHistoryMonth, I’m thinking of those in the midst of our continued struggle for disability justice.
.@VilissaThompson is a scholar, researcher, and social worker.

She is the founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice and has played a critical role in advancing nationwide conversations about the lived experiences of Black disabled women in America. This graphic reads: Viliss...
.@SeeMiaRoll is an activist, an elite athlete, and the Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at CAP.

She is incredibly skilled at calling the question that changes the conversation and pushing for data that drives action. This graphic reads: Mia ...
Read 5 tweets
Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Jan 20, 2022
Willie O’Ree is a hockey legend, trailblazer, ice breaker, hero & activist whose powerful story is unknown to far too many.

We changed that today when the House passed our Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act—the highest honor Congress can give a civilian. 🧵 This is a black and white image of a young Willie O'Ree on t
Willie O’Ree is a descendent of enslaved people who made history with the @NHLBruins 64 years ago when he became the first Black player to play in the @NHL.

He played 45 games in the NHL & spent over 20 years in pro hockey—all while hiding the fact that he was blind in one eye.
Willie was a speedy left winger—but even he couldn't out-skate racism as the sole Black player in the NHL.

He faced fierce discrimination & even violence from fans & players alike.

Despite it all, Willie embodied resilience, grace, dignity & never gave up on his dream.
Read 7 tweets
Ayanna Pressley Profile picture
Jan 17, 2022
Each #MLKDay, some will cherry-pick quotes from Dr. King & reduce his legacy to that of a peaceful protestor with a dream.

He was indeed a prophetic leader & early architect of the Civil Rights movement—but there's much more to his story.🧵 This is a black and white image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
We often see excerpts from "I Have A Dream" weaponized & perverted to justify legislated white supremacy.

But the truth is Dr. King was a radical dreamer with a bold vision for revolutionary change.

A disruptive movement builder seeking to upend an unjust status quo.
In word & deed, he sought to reverse generations of policy violence & affirm that Black Lives Matter—Work we continue to carry on today.

& the progress we've made thanks to Dr. King & others is under attack daily—a reminder that gains are not guarantees.
Read 6 tweets

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