Pioneering Chicana Leader Gloria Molina Dies at 74
Gloria Molina, a trailblazing leader in California state and local politics for over three decades, passed away on Sunday evening after a battle with cancer. The first Latina to serve in the state Assembly, on the Los Angeles City Council, and on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Molina paved the way for future generations of leaders.
Born on May 31, 1948, in Montebello, California, Molina was the oldest of ten children of working-class parents. She was elected to the state Assembly in 1982 before being elected to the Los Angeles City Council, where she served from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, she was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, where she served until her term ended in 2014.
Molina’s groundbreaking work as a Chicana leader was honored by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who called her “an inspiration to all those whose lives she touched.” Karen Bass, who was elected last year as the first woman mayor of Los Angeles, said in a statement that Molina was “a force for unapologetic good and transformational change in Los Angeles,” who “advocated for those who did not have a voice in government.”
Molina’s advocacy work was particularly focused on environmental justice, as well as fiscal watchdog and public health advocacy. In a Facebook post she shared on March 14, Molina wrote, “You should know that I’m not sad. I enter this transition in life feeling so fortunate. I have an amazing and caring family, wonderful friends, and worked with committed colleagues and a loyal team.”
Molina’s legacy will be remembered through numerous landmarks, including the renaming of downtown’s Grand Park to Gloria Molina Grand Park after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to make the change.
Molina’s daughter, Valentina Martinez, announced the sad news of her mother’s passing and shared that Molina passed away at her Mount Washington home surrounded by her family. She was 74.
Original Story at apnews.com – 2023-05-15 15:20:10