Eddie Bernice Johnson currently represents Texas's 30th congressional district, which serves a majority of Dallas. The 81-year-old has a storied political career that includes her role as House representative from 1973 to 1977 and later a Texas state senator from 1987 to 1993.
When she was elected to the House of Representatives, Johnson was the first black woman elected to public office from Dallas. Not only that, but she was also appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be the regional director of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She was the first black woman to hold that position as well.
In a poignant interview with the Chicago Tribune in 1990, Johnson said, "Being a woman and being black is perhaps a double handicap." She added, "When you see who's in the important huddles, who's making the important decisions, it's men."
