Ayanna Pressley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ayanna Pressley
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 7th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Capuano |
| Member of the Boston City Council at-large |
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| In office January 4, 2010 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Sam Yoon |
| Succeeded by | Althea Garrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ayanna Soyini Pressley
February 3, 1974 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Conan Harris
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 1 stepdaughter |
| Education | Boston University |
Ayanna Soyini Pressley (born February 3, 1974) is an American politician. She has been a U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 7th congressional district since 2019. This district covers a large part of Boston, most of Cambridge, and other nearby towns.
Before joining the U.S. House of Representatives, Pressley was a member of the Boston City Council from 2010 to 2019. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2018. She won the primary election against a long-time representative and then ran unopposed in the main election.
Pressley made history as the first black woman elected to the Boston City Council. She was also the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. She is part of "The Squad," a group of progressive members of Congress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ayanna Pressley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Sandra Pressley, worked many jobs to support their family. She also helped people as a community organizer, fighting for tenants' rights.
Pressley's father, Martin Terrell, was in jail during her childhood. He later earned degrees and taught at a college. Her parents eventually divorced.
She went to Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. There, she was a cheerleader, did modeling, and was a strong debater. In her last year of high school, her classmates voted her "most likely to be mayor of Chicago." She also gave the graduation speech.
From 1992 to 1994, Pressley attended Boston University. She left school to work full-time at a hotel. This was to help her mother, who had lost her job. She later took more classes at Boston University Metropolitan College.
Early Political Career
After leaving Boston University, Pressley worked for Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II. She had interned for him during college. She started as his scheduler, then became his political director.
Later, she worked as a senior aide and political director for Senator John Kerry.
Boston City Council
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Pressley was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2009. When she took office on January 4, 2010, she became the first woman of color to serve on the Boston City Council in its 100-year history.
She focused strongly on issues important to women and children. She worked with community members to create a health education program. This program was put into place in Boston Public Schools.
In 2014, the Boston City Council passed a rule that Pressley helped write. It stopped the city government from working with health insurers that treated people unfairly based on their gender identity. This rule made sure that transgender city employees and their families received fair healthcare.
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Pressley also worked on rules for liquor licenses in the city. Her efforts led to a state law in 2014. This law allowed Boston to give out more liquor licenses. The goal was to help businesses in less wealthy neighborhoods grow.
Even though there were some challenges, The New York Times called her work on this issue a "major accomplishment." She continued to work with Mayor Walsh to add even more licenses for underserved communities.
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In 2017, the Council passed the Equity in City of Boston Contracts Ordinance. This rule, sponsored by Pressley, required the city to help businesses owned by women and minorities get city contracts. It made sure these businesses were considered for city projects.
During her time on the City Council, Pressley was seen as a strong voice for communities of color. She brought up issues that the council had not focused on before.
Pressley was very popular in her elections. She finished first among at-large candidates in 2011, 2013, and 2015. She won in many of Boston's communities of color and progressive areas. In 2017, she placed second.
While on the Boston City Council, Pressley was one of the first important Massachusetts politicians to support Elizabeth Warren. Warren later won her campaign for U.S. Senate in 2012.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018 Election
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In January 2018, Pressley announced she would challenge the current U.S. Representative, Michael Capuano. This was for the Democratic primary election in Massachusetts's 7th congressional district. This district is known for being very Democratic.
The 7th district is the only one in Massachusetts where most residents are not white. Capuano had support from important civil rights leaders.
Pressley had been considered a strong candidate to replace Capuano if he ever retired.
Both The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald supported Pressley. She also gained support from various community groups and political organizations. The win of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York, who also defeated a long-time representative, brought more attention to Pressley's campaign.
Pressley campaigned as a strong progressive, just like Capuano. She said her voting record would be similar to his. However, she argued that the district needed a representative who would be more active in opposing the presidency of Donald Trump. Her campaign slogan was "change can't wait." She promised to bring "activist leadership."
In the September 4, 2018, Democratic primary election, Pressley defeated Capuano. She won with 59% of the votes compared to his 41%. This victory was a surprise, as earlier polls showed Capuano leading. Many new voters, especially Hispanic and Asian voters, participated in this primary. Pressley won the general election without an opponent.
2020 Election
Pressley ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in 2020. She won the general election easily.
2022 Election
Pressley won against Republican Donnie Palmer in the general election.
Tenure in Congress
Ayanna Pressley is the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress. With Jahana Hayes winning in Connecticut, they became the first women of color elected to Congress from New England.
Pressley is a member of "The Squad." This informal group works together to push for progressive changes. These include ideas like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all (which aims for healthcare for everyone). Other original members are Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pressley is the oldest and most experienced of the four. She was asked to speak for the group after then-President Donald J. Trump criticized them.
In July 2019, Pressley shared that her office received threats after President Trump's tweets. She said she had been getting threats since her election.
In May 2019, Pressley gave the graduation speech at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She told the graduates they were "President Trump's worst nightmare."
In September 2019, Pressley asked the House Judiciary Committee to start impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
In July 2021, Pressley, along with Cori Bush and Ilhan Omar, slept on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. They did this to protest the end of a rule that stopped people from being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
In November 2021, Pressley was one of six Democrats who voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This was because it was separated from other social programs they supported.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion
- Committee on Oversight and Accountability
Caucus Memberships
- Congressional Bike Caucus (co-chair)
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (co-chairs with Cori Bush)
- Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Future of Transportation Caucus (founding co-chair)
- Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
Political Positions
Healthcare
Pressley supports Medicare for All. This idea aims to provide healthcare for everyone through a single government system.
In May 2019, Pressley and Senator Cory Booker introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act. This bill would expand Medicaid coverage. It aims to provide full care for pregnant people and new mothers for a year after birth. The bill also looked into how to improve access to doula care (support during and after childbirth).
Civil Liberties
Pressley supports the U.S. national anthem protests. These protests bring attention to how police brutality affects black people unfairly.
In March 2019, Pressley suggested lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. This was her first amendment in the House. It was meant to change the For the People Act of 2019. Her amendment did not pass.
In December 2019, Pressley and other representatives introduced the CROWN Act. This law aims to stop unfair treatment based on hair textures and hairstyles linked to race.
Immigration
In June 2018, Pressley called for reducing funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She said the agency was a threat to immigrant communities. In June 2019, Pressley voted against a border funding bill. She was one of four Democrats to do so.
Labor
In April 2019, Pressley helped introduce the Be HEARD Act. This bill aims to get rid of the lower minimum wage for tipped workers. It also seeks to end forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements for workers. The bill would also give workers more time to report harassment.
Student Loan Forgiveness
In early 2021, Pressley supported a plan to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt. This would help about 44 million Americans with federal student loans. She asked President Biden to forgive this debt using his executive power. She believes this would help with a fair economic recovery.
Credit Reports
As a city councilor, Pressley tried to pass a rule. It would have stopped employers from using credit scores when hiring people.
As a congresswoman, Pressley wrote a bill called the "CREDIT Act." It passed the House in January 2020. This bill would have:
- Limited how employers use credit scores in hiring.
- Given more power to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to oversee the credit score industry.
- Reduced the time negative information stays on credit reports (from seven to four years).
- Reduced the time bankruptcy information stays on credit scores (from ten to seven years).
- Made it easier to fix mistakes on credit reports.
- Helped people with student loans improve their credit scores.
- Stopped debt from "medically necessary" procedures from being reported.
- Delayed the reporting of other medical debt.
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Public Transit and Infrastructure
Pressley believes that public transit should be free for users. In 2020, she co-authored the Freedom to Move Act with Senator Ed Markey. This bill would have offered money to transit agencies that provide free public transportation. They reintroduced the bill in April 2023.
In November 2021, Pressley was one of six House Democrats who voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This was a large spending bill for infrastructure.
Voting Age
In January 2023, Pressley was one of 13 people who supported a change to the Constitution of the United States. This change would give citizens aged 16 and older the right to vote.
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Pressley was among the Democrats who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.
Personal Life
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Pressley lives in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. She lives with her husband, Conan Harris, and her stepdaughter.
In January 2019, her husband left his job at Boston City Hall. He started his own consulting firm.
Pressley has said she is a "woman of faith" and grew up in the church. Her grandfather was a Baptist preacher.
In January 2020, Pressley shared that she had been diagnosed with alopecia areata. This condition caused her to lose all of her hair. She said in a public announcement, "I want to be freed from the secret and the shame that that secret carries with it." In 2022, she appeared in a TV series called The Hair Tales. In it, she talked about her experience with alopecia.
Pressley is a member of The Links, a nonprofit social and service group.
Honors and Awards
- 2012: Aspen-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership
- 2012: Truman National Security Project Partner
- 2014: Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, 10 Outstanding Young Leaders
- 2014: Victim Rights Law Center, Leadership Award
- 2015: Boston magazine, 50 Most Powerful People
- 2015: EMILY's List, Gabby Giffords Rising Star Award
- 2016: The New York Times, 14 Young Democrats to Watch
- 2018: Boston magazine, 100 Most Influential People in Boston, #20
- 2020: Children's HealthWatch Champion
- 2021: Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa from Simmons University
- 2023: Black Women Lead Banner, honoring Black women leaders who have shaped Boston
See Also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
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