Patsy Takemoto Mink

Object Details

Trailblazing and seriousness of purpose marked Patsy Mink’s career in the House of Representatives. The first woman of color and first Asian-American woman elected to Congress, in 1964, Mink’s work led to significant changes in education in the United States, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which barred discrimination based on sex in institutions receiving federal funding; the early childhood education program Head Start; and the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1974, which promoted gender equity in schools. The colors of the Pacific Ocean and abstractions of flora from her home state of Hawaii—heliconia, bird-of-paradise, and others—form the background of the portrait. The setting evokes Mink’s uniqueness at the outset of her 13-term career in the House—as a Representative from a recently admitted state, a Hawaiian and woman of color, and an activist.