DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & EQUITY MEETING
"The Crown Act"
October 19, 2023 @ 12:00 p.m.
YOUR SPEAKER
State Representative
Rhetta Andrews Bowers
MEETING INFO
Representative Bowers was elected to serve House District 113 in the Texas House of Representatives on November 8, 2018. She made history as the first African American elected to represent this district. Being of African American and Caribbean descent, she became the first Afro-Latina elected to the Texas House. House District 113 includes parts of Rowlett, Garland and Mesquite.
Bowers was drawn to activism at an early age, following the example of her mother, a prominent community leader, and her father, a nationally recognized surgeon. She is an alumna of Spelman College and Texas Southern University, earning her bachelor's degree in Telecommunications, with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism.
During the 86th Legislative Session, Bowers served on the House Committees for Corrections, Juvenile Justice & Family Issues, and Local and Consent Calendars. Representative Bowers champions women and children's rights, juvenile justice issues, working towards eliminating the school to prison pipeline, and uplifting marginalized communities in every level of government. She has been recognized across the state for authorizing House Bill 3455, which declares March 1st as "Texas Girls in STEM Day," a day designated to highlight women in STEM and encourage and expose young girls, with support from local school districts and organizations, to embrace and enter fields relating to science, engineering, technology, math and the arts.
During the 87th Legislative Session, Bowers continued her commitment of supporting human rights by filing the Texas CROWN Act which protects against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protections to hair texture and styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. Bowers also multiple bills to provide additional resources to people experiencing homelessness and to aid those whose life's work is helping them.
In the 88th Legislative Session, Bowers followed through on that commitment, passing the Texas CROWN Act, House Bill 567, along with House Bill 568, which provides trainings for peace officers for interactions with people with Alzheimer's or other dementias. She proudly serves on the House Committees for Criminal Jurisprudence, Homeland Security & Public Safety, the Speaker's Select Committee on Community Safety, and as Vice Chair of Local and Consent Calendars.
Though she is a proud native Houstonian, Representative Bowers has resided in Rowlett with her husband MSG (ret.) John P. Bowers, Jr. and their 2 children for more than 20 years and proudly calls House District 113 home.
THIS MONTH'S LOCATION
The Arts District Mansion
2101 Ross Ave.
Dallas, TX 75201
PARKING & BUFFET LUNCH
Cost of Parking = $5.00 - $10.00
Cost of buffet lunch = $15.00 - $17.00
CLE Credit
1.0 hour of General paralegal CLE credit issued through DAPA.
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