Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., cited “emboldened white supremacy” as a catalyst for the reintroduction of federal legislation to consider reparations for slavery.

Bill HR 40, which had 130 co-sponsors last session, doesn’t have much of a chance of passing in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives, but Pressley touched on a higher calling on Wednesday. Speaking during a press briefing, Pressley’s voice cracked as she spoke of the carrying on the work from the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

“It’s an honor to inherit the privilege of carrying this forward from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. In my last correspondence with her, she said keep working on our priorities and never give up,” she said.

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