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One of the baaaadest sistas in the nation (outside of First Lady Michelle Obama of course) will be sitting front and center at President Obama’s final State of the Union address—Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.

She will be California Representative Barbara Lee‘s special guest to this highly anticipated event on Jan 12.

Lee took to Twitter to rave about Garza being her plus one.

Garza, who recently celebrated her 35 birthday, Tweeted back:

This pairing of #BlackGirlMagic is pretty dope.

Just looking at Rep. Lee’s track record over the past 20 plus years serving the state of California, the 69-year-old politico has rarely played it safe nor has she backed down from taking up potentially polarizing issues such as HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ equality and reproductive justice.

She truly embodies the term”power to the people,” which has inspired Garza, who lives in the Bay Area and also happens to be one of Lee’s constituents.

“Barbara Lee has been a consistent and effective advocate for poor people, working class people, women, Black people and people of color her entire career,” Garza exclusively told Hello Beautiful.

She added, “She’s courageous and leads with integrity when it comes to her role as a representative of the people. It’s an honor to be her guest, and she has a lot to show this political system about what democracy can and should look like.”

Garza herself is no stranger to courage. In 2013, in reaction to George Zimmerman being acquitted of killing unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin, she and fellow activists Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi created the Black Lives Matter movement, a movement that has mobilized African-Americans and forced America to recognize and radically talk about issues around racism, sexism and Black liberation.

Garza will be one of many special guests in attendance at the televised SOTU address.

In addition, 23 people handpicked by the White House will sit with First Lady Michelle Obama in her special seating box during the event, ABC noted. These guests include Refaai Hamo, a Syrian refugee whose personal story when viral, Cedric Rowland, a leading Affordable Care Act navigator in Chicago and Jennifer Bragdon, a community college student who has overcome great adversity.

Will you be watching the SOTU?

[SOURCE: ABC]

RELATED LINKS:

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Tamir Rice’s Mother, Samaria Rice Releases A Statement On Non-Indictment: ‘The Justice System Is Corrupt’

#BlackLivesMatter Founders Speak Out In Support Of #BaltimoreUprising

Black Lives Matter Co-Founder to Attend President Obama’s Final State Of The Union Address  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com

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