Shirley Weber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shirley Weber
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| 31st Secretary of State of California | |
| Assumed office January 29, 2021 |
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| Governor | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Alex Padilla |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 79th district |
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| In office December 3, 2012 – January 28, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Ben Hueso (redistricted) |
| Succeeded by | Akilah Weber |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shirley Nash
September 20, 1948 Hope, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Daniel Weber
(m. 1973; died 2002) |
| Children | 2, including Akilah |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA, MA, PhD) |
Shirley Weber (born September 20, 1948) is an important American politician and a former university professor. She currently serves as California's Secretary of State. This means she helps manage elections and keeps important state records. Before this, she was a member of the California State Assembly, representing parts of San Diego, Chula Vista, and National City. She also represented all of Lemon Grove and La Mesa.
Before being elected to the Assembly in 2012, Weber worked on the San Diego Board of Education. She was also a professor of African-American studies at San Diego State University. She was the first African American woman elected to the California State Legislature from south of Los Angeles. In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom chose her to be California's Secretary of State. She is the first African American person to hold this important statewide job.
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Early Life and Education
Shirley Weber was born in Hope, Arkansas. She grew up in Los Angeles. Her father was a farmer who only went to school until the sixth grade. However, he strongly encouraged Shirley and her seven brothers and sisters to focus on their education.
When Shirley was three years old, her family had to leave their farm. They moved west to find a safer place to live. The family settled in the Pueblo Del Rio housing projects in South Los Angeles, where Shirley grew up. She went on to earn three degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and PhD in communication.
Career Highlights
Academic Career
Dr. Weber is now a professor emerita of Africana studies at San Diego State University. This means she is a retired professor who is still highly respected by the university. She helped start the Africana studies department in 1972. She then became its leader and taught there for 40 years. From 2002 to 2006, she was also the president of the National Council for Black Studies.
Early Political Work
Shirley Weber served on the San Diego Board of Education from 1988 to 1996. She later became the president of the board. She also led the San Diego Citizens’ Equal Opportunity Commission. This group worked to make sure everyone had fair chances.
California State Assembly
In 2011, Shirley Weber was asked to run for a seat in the California State Assembly. In November 2012, she won the election with 61.7% of the votes.
During her time in the Assembly, Weber was part of the Committee on Higher Education. She worked to create a state university location in Chula Vista. This would be an extension of the California State University system. In 2020, she wrote a bill called Assembly Bill 3121. This bill created a special task force to study how to make up for the history of slavery in California. This task force met for the first time in 2021.
California Secretary of State
On December 22, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Shirley Weber to be the Secretary of State of California. She took over from Alex Padilla, who became a U.S. Senator. Shirley Weber is the first African American person to serve as California's Secretary of State. She was officially sworn into office on January 29, 2021. The state senate had approved her appointment the day before.
As Secretary of State, Shirley Weber had a very important job in running the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election. This election was held to decide if Governor Newsom should stay in office. She later won a full term as Secretary of State in the 2022 election.
Personal Life
Shirley Weber's husband, Judge Daniel Weber, passed away in 2002. She has two children and three grandchildren. Her daughter, Akilah Weber, is a doctor. Akilah was also a member of the La Mesa City Council from 2018 to 2021. On April 19, 2021, Akilah was sworn in by her mother to take her place in the California State Assembly. This happened after Akilah won a special election.
