Beauty and Brains!
American politician Maxine Waters, currently serving as the U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district since 1991, makes history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee
A fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor, Maxine throughout her more than 40 years of public service, has applaudably stood at the forefront tackling various difficult and often controversial issues, lending her strong legislative and public policy acumen in service.
The top official was elected in November 2018 to her fifteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, scooping more than 70 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California.
Everly championing reforms, Maxine Waters is as integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership. She also serves as a member of the Steering & Policy Committee and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
As a national Democratic Party leader, Congresswoman Waters immeasurable contribution to Democratic Party politics hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The 82 year old has served on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 1980. She was a key leader in five presidential campaigns: Sen. Edward Kennedy (1980), Rev. Jesse Jackson (1984 & 1988), and President Bill Clinton (1992 & 1996).
In 2001, she was instrumental in the DNC’s creation of the National Development and Voting Rights Institute and the appointment of Mayor Maynard Jackson as its chair.
An unapologetic advocate for international peace, justice, and human rights, the congresswoman sets her lens confronting issues such as poverty and economic development.
Rep. Waters is a co-founder of Black Women’s Forum, a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 African American women in the Los Angeles area. In the mid-80s, she also founded Project Build, working with young people in Los Angeles housing developments on job training and placement.
It’s all about world development for Waters as she leads congressional efforts towards the cancellation of debts that poor countries in Africa and Latin America owe to wealthy institutions like the World Bank; she channels efforts towards freeing poor countries from the burden of international debts.
The top politician is also lauded by African American entrepreneurs for her passion towards expansion of opportunities to strengthen businesses. Long active in the women’s movement, Rep. Waters has given encouragement and financial support to women seeking public office.
During 14 years in the California State Assembly, she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair, during which she was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen: the largest divestment of state pension funds from South Africa; landmark affirmative action legislation; the nation’s first statewide Child Abuse Prevention Training Program among others.
Maxine Waters worked her way from ground up; born in St. Louis, Missouri, the fifth of 13 children was raised by a single mother. At age 13 she had already began working in factories and segregated restaurants.
After moving to Los Angeles, she worked in garment factories and at the telephone company. She attended California State University at Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She began her career in public service as a teacher and a volunteer coordinator in the Head Start program.
She is happily married to Sidney Williams, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The pair has two adult children, Edward and Karen, and two grandchildren.
