Teacher Biography on Maxine Waters
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About Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is a heroine. By being in the U.S House of Representatives, Waters represents every black woman. Serving as the chairperson in the Congressional Black Caucus organization, Waters plays a key role in promoting African-Americans’ interest. In today’s politics, she is viewed by many as one of the most powerful women in the U.S. through her work; she has earned a reputation for being an outspoken advocate for women, children, poor people, and people of color. Therefore, it is true to say that Waters is a paramount part and parcel of the black community and a testimony to all black women. She is an inspiration that you can achieve whatever you wish as long as you endeavor to do so.
Maxine Waters’ Personal Background
Maxine Waters was born on 15th August 1938 in St. Louis. She was the fifth child in a family of thirteen children born to Remus Moore and Velma Lee Carr Moore, but a single mother raised her. When Waters was at the age of thirteen, she was employed to work at a whites-only restaurant downtown in St. Louis as a busgirl. In 1956, after graduating from high school, Waters married Edward Waters, but later on, they divorced. In her 20s, the year 1961, Waters’ family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she got employed in a garment factory and later in Pacific Telephone as an operator (Weiser, 2015). After the race riots in the Watts area in 1965, Waters was hired as an assistant teacher in Watts to run a Head Start program. This program was funded by the federal government and mainly focused on helping low-income learners to excel in school. While working at Head Start, Waters decided to join college to pursue a degree in sociology. Therefore, she enrolled at California State University in Los Angeles, where she completed her degree course in 1970.
Maxine Waters’ Legislative Leadership
Waters became a spokesperson for the frustrated parents at Head Start and helped air grievances on issues concerning federal funding and budgets. She also encouraged parents to lobby for Head Start components of great importance to their community. Harris (2019) explains that Waters’ passion for fighting for the rights of the parents in Head Start inspired her to enter into the local politics. In 1973, she went to work as a chief deputy to city council member, David Cunningham where she worked for three years. Waters left her job in 1976 and went to run for election to the California State Assembly where she was successfully elected. During her period in the assembly, Waters presented several legislative pieces including a law that require state agencies to award a percentage of contracts to women and minorities, a law on the rights of tenants and a law to restrict police from using strip searches. In the California State Assembly, Waters worked for fourteen years and in 1990, she successfully ran for a seat in the 29th congressional District of California. After serving for two years, she went ahead to ran for the much larger 35th District where she represented South Central Los Angeles, Gardena, Hawthorne and Inglewood. In this election, Waters scooped a whopping 83% of the votes. According to Mantler (2020) in the mid-80s, Waters’ attention was focused on the plight of inner-city communities and the CIA’s alleged involvement in contra-cocaine drug trafficking in South Los Angeles. In November 2018, Congresswoman Waters was elected in her fifteenth term in the U.S House of Representatives, where she won over seventy percent of the votes in the 43rd Congressional District of California. Apart from representing the large part of South Los Angeles, Waters has also made history as the first woman and the first African-American chair of the House of Financial Services Committee.
Having served the public for more than forty years, Congresswoman Waters has stood to be a strong woman, particularly in handling difficult and often controversial issues. She has collaborated her strong legislative and public policy intelligence and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with a unique ability to do grassroots organization (Walker, 2016). Since 1980, congresswoman waters have been serving on the Democratic National Committee, and as a national party leader of the Democratic Party, she has been highly visible in all politics surrounding that party. From 1980 to 1996, Waters has been a key presidential campaigner where she has led in five presidential campaigns. In 2001, she was a key person among those who championed the creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute and the chair’s appointment, Mayor Maynard Jackson. Throughout her career, Waters has advocated for international peace, justice, and human rights. Before she was elected into congress, she led a movement that fought to end Apartheid, leading to democracy in South Africa. In 2004, she strongly opposed the coup detat, which overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s democratically elected government in Haiti. In 2005, Waters founded and chaired the “Out of Iraq” Congressional Caucus to bring the congress the on-going debate about the war in Iraq following (Rosser-Mims, 2015). During her career, she has also prioritized healthcare services. In 1998, she spearheaded the development of the Minority AIDS Initiative that addressed the alarming spread of AIDS among black Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups. Through her leadership, the funding for the Minority AIDS Initiative has increased by almost double digits up-to-date. Under her leadership in the previous two congresses, Congresswoman Waters has initiated efforts at the congress to mitigate foreclosures and keep Americans families in their homes during the housing and economic crisis.
Maxine Waters’ Family.
Maxine Waters is married to the former U.S ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Sidney Williams, and they are blessed with two children, Karen and Edward. She also has two grandchildren. Waters lives in Los Angeles.
Conclusion
Congresswoman Waters can be considered as a passionate woman whose top priority is to improve the well-being of her community. Currently, she actively engages in a broad coalition of residential communities, environmental activists, and elected officials, which aggressively advocates for mitigation of harmful impact that may result from the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport. Additionally, she continues initiatives aimed at preserving the unique environmental qualities of Ballona wetlands and bluffs. Different communities across the nation have backed Waters up in her endeavors to confront issues such as poverty, economic development, equal justice, and other issues concerning women, children, poor people, and people of color. African-Americans praise Waters for her efforts to expand contracting and procurement opportunities and strengthening businesses. Having been active in the women’s movement for a long, Waters has given financial support and encouragement to women vying for political seats. She is also lauded by young people, particularly those in the hip-hop music community, for her understanding and supporting young people and their self-expression. Thus, Maxine Waters is an inspiration to many, particularly women, the young generation, and pride in black people in and outside America.
References
Harris, D. (2019). Conclusion: Reclaiming Our Time—Black Feminist Politics in the Trump Era. In Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Trump (pp. 193-196). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Mantler, G. (2020). South Central Is Home: Race and the Power of Community Investment in Los Angeles by Abigail Rosas. Journal of Arizona History, 61(2), 326-329.
Rosser-Mims, D. M. (2015). BLACK AMERICAN WOMEN’S POLITICAL EXPERIENCES. Women and Leadership around the World, 171.
Walker, M. (2016). 50 Years of Static: The Consistent Injustices Facing African Americans in Los Angeles From the Watts Rebellion to the Present.
Weiser, A. (2015). Guide to MS474 Archie Waters Papers.