It is hard to believe that it has only been 50 years since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law, following hundreds of years of discrimination against black Americans in the most basic human rights including education, housing, and employment.

Today serves as a reminder to all Americans that the Civil Rights movement and this landmark legislation opened the doors of inclusion regardless of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin.

As an African-American woman, I am mindful of the barriers that have been removed and the road that has been paved for me by those who have come before me. I recognize that this has allowed me to become the person and the political leader that I am today, one who will always fight for equality and inclusion.