REAL MOMS OF THE METRO
Merleyn Bell
BY APRIL DEOCARIZA . PHOTOS BY SHEVAUN WILLIAMS .
Reelection, Parenting During a Pandemic and the Power of Representation
Representative Merleyn Bell is the first to say her path to politics certainly wasn’t linear. In fact, the girl who grew up performing musical theatre was voted “Most Likely to Win An Oscar” by her high school class. “There is an unexpected performative nature to our job,” explained Bell about the parallels between politics and theatre. “It involves a lot of public speaking and meeting people. The house floor is very much like a stage.” In November 2018, Bell was elected to represent House District 45 in east Norman, becoming the first woman of color to ever represent her hometown. During her first year in the state house, she proposed legislation to reform Oklahoma’s criminal justice system and improve the state’s infrastructure. Now, as she begins her second term, Bell shares her top priorities and the value of raising civically-engaged children.
54 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAR-APR 2021
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