Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) is speaking out forcefully against efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Washington, D.C., warning that such moves threaten to erase the contributions and visibility of Black residents. In a passionate speech on the House floor, Lee directly connected debates over crime and public safety to what she described as racially coded political attacks.

"Getting rid of DEI in DC. It's crazy to say because you can introduce DEI laws, but at the end of the day, you are not going to erase black people from the District of Columbia or any other place. I just wanted to start with that," Lee said. "Let's be real, that that's what's at the heart of all of these same conversations that we keep having about crime and underfunded and underresourced Black communities, while they ignore crime in the White House and in their own houses. I just wanted to establish that." 

Lee’s comments came during a heated debate in Congress as lawmakers consider a series of measures aimed at strengthening federal oversight of D.C. governance and policing, including deploying the National Guard to patrol Democratic-led cities. Republican members have pushed for tougher crime policies, citing rising violent crime rates, while some Democrats argue that such efforts strip local officials of autonomy and fail to address root causes.

By tying these proposals to a broader attack on racial equity initiatives, Lee reframed the conversation around the structural neglect of Black communities. 

Lee’s remarks highlight the double standard that targets urban communities of color for punitive policies while ignoring misconduct elsewhere in government. 

Lee urged Congress to invest in under-resourced neighborhoods, support economic opportunity, and fund programs that address systemic inequality rather than relying on fear-based narratives that criminalize Black residents.