Barbara Lee was born in El Paso, Texas in 1946. Growing up in the segregated Southwest, Barbara learned at an early age the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs and of fighting for equality for all.

Barbara later moved to the San Francisco bay area so that she could attend Mills College in Oakland. During college, she quickly became a leader in the region’s vibrant civil rights movement—being elected president of the Black Student Union. Her commitment as a community activist led her to get involved in Representative Shirley Chisholm’s campaign for president. Acting on the advice she received from Representative Chisholm to “get involved”, Barbara served as an intern in then-Congressman Ron Dellums’ office—a place she would spend the next decade of her life in service to her community.