Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee, a social activist and philanthropist, works to promote women's leadership and empowerment. The Barbara Lee Family Foundation initiates projects to improve democracy and women's leadership in America. Most recently, Ms. Lee was responsible for organizing the grassroots efforts to promote Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a film by aware-winning documentaries Ken Burns. Her work has significantly boosted the number of women in politics both in Massachusetts and on the national level. In 1999, she was honored with the Inaugural Torchbearer Award from WILL/WAND (Women Legislators' Lobby/Women's Action for New Directions) for her leadership. Blending her advocacy for women's equality and public art, Barbara Lee serves as Co-Chair of the Boston women's Memorial Committee Gala. The Memorial will celebrate the long-overlooked contributions women have made to Boston's rich history. Featuring Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone and PhillisWhitely, the Women's Memorial will be installed on Boston's historic Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

In 1997, Barbara was a founder of The White House Project, a national organization determined to change the face of politics in the United States by electing a woman President in the next decade. She is the founder of many other initiatives for women, including the women's Supported Housing and Empowerment Project in Somerville, Massachusetts, which provides long-term housing and support services for women as risk and their families. At her alma mater, Simmons College, she founded the Simmons Institute for leadership and Change. She is also a founder of the Family Policy Center at the Heller School and women's Studies Program at Brandies University.