Dr. Shirley Weber (1948- )
Born in segregated, Jim Crow-era Arkansas in 1948, Shirley Weber moved with her family to California to escape racial violence as a young child. She became incredibly accomplished at a young age, working as a university professor from the age of 23 and earning a doctorate degree from UCLA by age 26. She was a founder of the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University and taught in the department for forty years. In 2012, Dr. Weber was elected to the California State Assembly, representing Assembly District 79. During her tenure in the Assembly, Dr. Weber authored numerous bills dedicated to issues such as voting rights, support of homeless youth, and civil rights for minority groups.
While serving in the Assembly, she chaired numerous committees, becoming the first Black individual to chair the Assembly Budget Committee. She has also presided over the California Electoral College, which certified California’s vote in the 2024 presidential elections. Just prior to her appointment to California Secretary of State, she chaired the California Legislative Black Caucus.
In 2021, Dr. Weber was nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as California’s Secretary of State, making her the first Black person to serve as California’s Secretary of State and the fifth Black constitutional officer in California governmental history. In her current position, she works to protect election integrity in California by safeguarding voting access and advocating for inclusion at California polls.
