Terri Sewell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terri Sewell
Official portrait, 2014
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Artur Davis
Personal details
Born	Terrycina Andrea Sewell (1965-01-01) January 1, 1965 (age 60) Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Theodore Dixie ​ (divorced)​
Relatives	Briana Sewell (cousin)
Education	Princeton University (BA) St Hilda's College, Oxford (BA) Harvard University (JD)
Signature
Website

Terrycina Andrea "Terri" Sewell (born January 1, 1965) is an American lawyer and politician. Since 2011, she has been a U.S. Representative for Alabama's 7th congressional district. A U.S. Representative is a person elected to help make laws for the entire country.

Sewell is a member of the Democratic Party. Her district includes a region of Alabama called the Black Belt. It also includes large parts of the cities of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery.

She was the first African-American woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress from Alabama. Before becoming a politician, she was a successful lawyer.

Early Life and Schooling

Terri Sewell was born in Huntsville, Alabama. Her father, Andrew A. Sewell, was a high school basketball coach. Her mother, Nancy Gardner Sewell, was a high school librarian and later served on the Selma city council. In fact, her mother was the first Black woman ever elected to the city council in Selma.

When she was a child, Sewell dreamed of becoming a star on Broadway. However, her mother wanted her to be a lawyer, so Sewell joined her high school's debate team. She was a great student and became the first Black valedictorian of Selma High School. A valedictorian is the student with the highest grades in their graduating class.

After high school, Sewell attended Princeton University, a famous Ivy League school. She was the first student from her high school to go to an Ivy League university. At Princeton, she became friends with Michelle Obama, who was like a "big sister" to her on campus.

After graduating from Princeton in 1986, Sewell won a special award called the Marshall Scholarship to study at St Hilda's College, Oxford in England. There, she became friends with Susan Rice, who would also become a famous American leader. Sewell earned a degree in political science from Oxford in 1988.

Next, she went to Harvard Law School to get her law degree, which she finished in 1992. At Harvard, she was friends with Barack Obama. He later became a close friend and inspired her to go into politics.

Career as a Lawyer

After finishing law school, Sewell worked as a law clerk for a judge in Birmingham, Alabama. A law clerk helps a judge with research and writing. Later, she moved to New York City and worked for a large law firm called Davis Polk & Wardwell.

In 2004, Sewell moved back to Alabama to be closer to her family. She joined the law firm Maynard, Cooper & Gale. There, she became the first Black woman to be made a partner. A partner is one of the senior owners of a law firm. She worked as a public finance lawyer, helping governments and organizations with money matters.

In 2007, Sewell was at her church in Selma when she heard a speech by then-Senator Barack Obama. He was running for president. His speech inspired her to think about how she could serve her community. Soon after, her friend Kirsten Gillibrand called and encouraged her to run for office.

A Career in the U.S. Congress

Sewell with then-former Vice President Joe Biden in 2020

Sewell with U.S. Senator Doug Jones in January 2018

In 2010, the U.S. Representative for her district, Artur Davis, decided not to run for reelection. Sewell decided to run for his seat. She won the Democratic Party's primary election and then easily won the main election in November 2010.

Since then, Sewell has been reelected many times, serving the people of her district in Washington, D.C.

As a representative, Sewell has focused on creating jobs. She is known for having a liberal voting record, meaning she generally supports progressive policies. She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African-American members of Congress.

What are Committees and Caucuses?

In Congress, much of the work is done in small groups called committees and caucuses.

• A committee is a group that focuses on a specific topic, like farming or the military. They study problems and suggest laws.
• A caucus is a group of members who share a common interest or background. They work together to support their shared goals.

Committee Work

For the 118th Congress, Sewell serves on these committees:

• Committee on Armed Services: Deals with the U.S. military.
• Committee on House Administration: Manages the day-to-day operations of the House of Representatives.
• Committee on Ways and Means: Works on laws about taxes, trade, and social programs like Medicare.
• Joint Committee on the Library: Oversees the Library of Congress.

Caucus Memberships

• Congressional Black Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition
• Congressional Voting Rights Caucus
• Congressional Cement Caucus
• Black Maternal Health Caucus
• Afterschool Caucuses

What Terri Sewell Believes In

A politician's political positions are their ideas and beliefs about how the government should work. Here are some of Sewell's key positions.

Voting Rights

Terri Sewell with civil rights leaders John Lewis and Frederick D. Reese in 2016

Sewell is a strong supporter of voting rights. She introduced a bill named after the civil rights hero John Lewis. The John Lewis Voting Rights Act aims to protect all Americans' right to vote and prevent unfair voting laws.

Economic Issues

Sewell supports raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. She also supports laws that would ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work. In 2019, she worked with Ivanka Trump on policies to give parents paid time off after having a baby.

Health Care

Sewell supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often called Obamacare). She wants to make health care more affordable for everyone. She has worked on bills to lower the cost of medicine and provide more money for hospitals, especially in rural areas.

Education

Sewell has worked to support students and schools. In 2019, she helped pass a bill that gave $70 million to historically black colleges for building improvements and education programs.

Donald Trump Impeachments

When President Donald Trump faced two impeachments, Sewell voted in favor of impeaching him both times. An impeachment is a process to charge a high-level government official with a crime. She was the only representative from Alabama to vote this way.

Personal Life

Sewell was married to Theodore Dixie. They are now divorced. She is a lifetime member of the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma, a famous church in the Civil Rights Movement.

Her cousin, Briana Sewell, is also in politics and serves in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Terri Sewell para niños

• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives