OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE BLACK? TELL DREW MICKELSEN CHANGE IS
COMING.
>> I'M TAKING THE LUTHIER THAT
IS RUTH INFREQUENCY.
IT BACK INTO THE LOFT.
DANIELLA LEWIS TAKES PRIDE IN
HER WORK.
PEOPLE FORMALLY CALL THEM
DREADLOCKS BUT I CALL THEM
LOCKS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE YOUR
HAIR DREADFUL.
IS THIS WHAT THE STAFF AT
LAKEWOOD MISS BEAUTIFUL ME SAYS
TRADITION GENERALLY BLACK
HAIRSTYLES LIKE LOCKS, BRAIDS
AND AFROS ARE MAKING A
COMEBACK.
>> HOW?
>> IT'S OUR CROWN THE OTHER
WAY.
GRAB WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BUT IT
HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.
>> I WAS ASKED TO WEAR MY HAIR
MORE PROFESSIONALLY WHEN I
WORKED AT AFRO ONE DAY.
>> WHETHER IT COMES FROM A BOSS
OR A HIGH SCHOOL COACH SHOWN
HERE FORCING A WRESTLER TO CUT
HIS LOCKS PREVENTING SOMEONE
FROM HAVING THEIR HAIR IN ITS
NATURAL STATE IS NOW ILLEGAL IN
WASHINGTON.
>> THOSE HAIRSTYLES ARE
PROTECTED JUST LIKE RACE AND
RELIGION.
>> WE ARE THE FIFTH STATE TO
BAN THIS TYPE OF DISCRIMINATION
AND I WANT TO THANK
REPRESENTATIVE MORGAN FOR WAY
TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL FREE IN
THEIR OWN IDENTITY.
>> I AM PROUD TO VOTE YES.
>> WHY?
BECAUSE BLACK HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL
.
MELANIE MORGAN SPONSORED THE
BILL AND I MELANIE MORGAN WILL
NOT TOLERATE ANY DISCRIMINATION
IN OUR STATE OF WASHINGTON
HOUSE BILL TWENTY SIX OH TWO IS
DECLARED PASSED.
THE BILL PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY
WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
REPRESENTATIVE MORGENS HAS
ORIGINALLY SOME FELLOW
DEMOCRATS TOLD HER TO HOLD OFF
ACTUALLY THEY TOLD ME NO AND IT
WAS EXTREMELY HURTFUL.
>> IN MATTER OF FACT I CRIED
REPRESENTATIVE MORGAN DID NOT
TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
SHE FOUGHT AND PREVAILED AND
SAID THE HAIR DISCRIMINATION
ISSUE WAS JUST ONE OF MANY THAT
LIKELY WOULD NOT COME TO LIGHT
IF PEOPLE OF COLOR WERE NOT
REPRESENTED AT THE LEGISLATURE
BECAUSE I HAD THE ACTUAL
EXPERIENCE.
IT IS NOT TEXTBOOK.
THIS IS MY LIFE.
I AM A BLACK WOMAN WHO'S BEEN
ALIVE FOR 52 YEARS ENCOUNTERING
ISSUES WHETHER IT BE SUBTLE OR
WHETHER IT BE IN MY FACE.
>> AND IS THIS THE FIRST TIME
WE'VE HAD A BLACK HOUSE CAUCUS?
ARE YOU.
AM I LOOKING AT THE FIRST?
WELL, WE HAD ONE WHO WAS NUMBER
ONE AND THEN IT WAS A MEMBER
OF ONE AND THEN BUT NOW WE'RE
UP TO FIVE JUST BECAUSE OPEN
THE ROLL CALL MACHINE OF THE 98
WASHINGTON STATE
REPRESENTATIVES FIVE HOUSE
MEMBERS ARE BLACK
REPRESENTATIVES MORGAN ERIC
PETTIGREW, DEBORAH INTIMAN,
JESSE JOHNSON AND JOHN LUDVIK.
>> YOUR CELEBRATING THE FACT
THAT TODAY THERE ARE FIVE
MEMBERS BUT WE WE NEED MORE,
RIGHT?
I MEAN FIVE IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE NEED MORE AND WE WILL WE
WILL GET MORE.
>> LOOK, TAKE THE RECORD
PLEASE.
REPRESENTATIVE LOVETT WAS FIRST
ELECTED IN 1998 AT THE TIME THE
ONLY BLACK HOUSE MEMBER UNTIL
ERIC PETTIGREW WAS ELECTED IN
2002, ONE OF PETTIGREW'S
EARLIEST OLYMPIA INTERACTION
INVOLVED THE N-WORD.
>> THERE IS A SENIOR SENATOR
WHO MADE A COMMENT IN THE
COURSE OF A NEGOTIATIONS
SAYING, YOU KNOW, OH, WHOEVER
THE PERSON IS YOU'RE JUST BEING
IN THE WOODPILE AND.
>> AND THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME
ONE.
AND THEN WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO
MY OWN CAUCUS AND TALKED TO
THEM ABOUT IT, THEIR RESPONSE
WAS LIKE WELL HE'S GOING TO DIE
OFF ANYWAY SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT
IT.
>> THERE ARE MEMBERS OF OUR
LEGISLATURE THAT HAVE THOUGHT
THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING WHAT
IS RIGHT FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
WITHOUT ASKING US WHAT WE NEED
AND WHAT WE THOUGHT IS
IMPORTANT.
SO NOW WE ARE SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
>> REPRESENTATIVE ENTERTAIMENT
CHAIRS, THE BLACK CAUCUS, A
SUBGROUP OF LAWMAKERS.
SHE HOPES THIS CAUCUS WILL GROW
AND AS WE KNOW THERE'S STRENGTH
IN NUMBERS.
>> SO IT DEFINITELY HELPS TO
HAVE PEOPLE ON THE SAME PAGE IN
TERMS OF WHAT WE WANT TO GET
DONE AT 30.
>> REPRESENTATIVE JESSE JOHNSON
IS THE YOUNGEST STATE
LEGISLATOR.
>> HE'S SEEN HIS GENERATION
CALL FOR REFORM AND THINKS
THOSE VOICES WILL REACH
OLYMPIA.
WHEREAS BEFORE I THINK WE'VE
LIVED IN THIS DIVERSITY EQUITY
AND INCLUSION ERA WHERE YOU TRY
TO DANCE AROUND THE ISSUE
WITHOUT FRANKLY SAYING WE NEED
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS IN
PARTICULAR AND THE BLACK
COMMUNITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT
OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND
WE'RE CENTERING BLACK VOICES IN
THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME I'VE
SEEN IN MY OWN LIFETIME WE
DON'T HAVE A BLACK SENATE
CAUCUS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A
BLACK SENATOR UPSETTING.
>> IT MAKES OUR WORK HARDER
WHEN WE DON'T HAVE
REPRESENTATION ON THE OTHER
SIDE IF WE WRITE BILLS FOR OUR
COMMUNITY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
REPRESENTATION ON THE OTHER
SIDE THAT UNDERSTANDS WHY WE'RE
WRITING THIS PIECE
OF LEGISLATION AND NOT HAVING
TO OVEREXPLAIN AS WE OFTEN DO
WHICH DRAINS US A LOT.
SO THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT HAVING
ALL OF YOU IN THE ROOM WHEN IT
HAPPENS IS THE BEST WAY TO
BRING ABOUT REFORM, CORRECT?
I MEAN THERE'S NOTHING BETTER
THAN HAVING THAT VOICE IN
THERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE REACHING OUT.
WE'RE REACHING BACK TO MEMBERS
IN THE COMMUNITY LETTING THEM
SEE THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE
DOING, LETTING THEM SEE THAT,
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO OUT, RUN
FOR OFFICE, YOU MIGHT LOSE BUT
IF YOU DON'T RUN YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO WIN IN OUR STATE
LEGISLATURE.
>> WE HAVE HAD ALLIES BUT NOW
IT IS TIME FOR US TO SPEAK FOR
OURSELVES.
AND STAND FOR OURSELVES.
>> THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THINGS
GET DONE.
WE'VE GOT TO STAND UP FOR
YOURSELF.
JUST LIKE WITH THE HAIR
DISCRIMINATION BILL BACK AT THE
SALON, DANIELLA LEWIS HOPES
MORE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO HER
COMMUNITY WILL BE HEARD IN
OLYMPIA SOON.
>> THAT'S WHY