California's women politicians have been trailblazers, breaking glass ceilings and proving that women do, indeed, belong in all places where decisions are being made. Here are just a few of these history-making women.
Kamala Harris
Contribution: Kamala Harris was the first female and first African American to serve as California's attorney general, the first Indian American and second African American to serve in the United States Senate, she is the first female, first African American, and first Asian American to serve as Vice-President of the United States.
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Gloria Molina
Contribution: Gloria Molina is the first Latina in California history to be elected to the California State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and assemblywoman in the California State Assembly. She was a fierce advocate for Chicana civil rights.
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Maxine Waters
Contribution: Maxine Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee and has made a name for herself as a fierce and fearless advocate for women, children, people of color, and the socio-economically disadvantage.
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Doris Allen
Contribution: Although her tenure was short and stormy, Doris Allen made California history as the first woman speaker in the California State Assembly. She pushed against the male establishment and often worked across the aisle with her Democratic colleagues. Her Republican colleagues pushed for her recall and were ultimately successful.
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Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Contribution: Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke broke a number of glass ceilings in her career. She was the first African-American woman elected to the California assembly, and she became the first African-American woman elected to Congress from California. She was also the first woman chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). In 1973, she became the first Congresswoman to give birth and be granted maternity leave while serving in Congress Burke also became the first African American to win outright election as an L.A. County supervisor in 1992, and one year later, she became the first woman and the first person of color to chair the board. She was a staunch supporter of minority owned businesses and worked on women's rights issues.
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Nancy Pelosi
Contribution: Nancy Pelosi was the first woman to ever serve as Speaker of the House in the United States House of Representatives, and she presided over the 111th Congress, which, according to congressional scholar Norman Ornstein, was “one of the most productive Congresses in history." In 2013, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Pelosi has consistently championed lower healthcare costs, LGBTQ rights, fair wages for American workers, policies that address climate change, and strong ethical standards for public officials.
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