In March, after Molina announced that she was battling terminal cancer, the Board of Supervisors renamed Grand Park the Gloria Molina Grand Park. Her record included support for public health, jobs, education, parks and recreation, and the arts. As a member of the LA Metro board, Molina successfully pushed for the extension of the Gold Line (now L Line) light rail into East Los Angeles. Molina fought the city of Whittier’s plan to drill for oil in part of Whittier Hills that was purchased with taxpayer monies from state Measure Proposition A, and fought to keep the land preserved as open space and for wildlife. She was a county supervisor for 23 years, from 1991 to 2014, and is known for working to improve the county’s foster care system, foster youth graduation rates, and the county’s Department of Family and Children Services. Molina retired from the Board of Supervisors in 2014 due to term limits, ending a 32-year career in public service for the City of Angels.Īs a county supervisor she served the First District, representing Pico-Union, East L.A. Seeing her break several glass ceilings throughout her public service career inspired me to follow in her footsteps and be of service to our community.” “She was a beacon of hope to many - including myself. County Supervisor Hilda Solis posted on Twitter. “Words can’t express the loss of Gloria Molina,” L.A. Among those she beat out for the job was her former boss, Art Torres. “She shaped Los Angeles in a lasting way while paving the way for future generations of leaders,” Bass said.įour years after being elected to the City Council, Molina again made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the powerful L.A. Mayor Karen Bass called Molina “a force for unapologetic good and transformational change in Los Angeles,” who advocated for environmental justice and public health. City Council as its first elected Latina councilmember. In 1986, Molina left Sacramento to take a seat on the L.A. During that time, she chaired the Subcommittee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and served as vice chair of the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement. She served one term, working on committees that focused on revenue and taxation, labor and employment, utilities and commerce. Then, in 1982, Molina shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first Latina to be elected to the California state Legislature. Over the next several years, she would go on to work in President Jimmy Carter’s administration as a deputy for presidential personnel and for state Assembly Speaker Willie Brown Jr. In 1976, Molina began working as an administrative assistant for state Assemblymember Art Torres. Molina was active in Southern California’s Chicano movement, serving as a member of the Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional de Los Angeles, and helping to establish the Chicana Action Service Center, which advocated for the rights of Chicanas. She graduated from El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera and attended Rio Hondo College, East L.A. Molina was one of 10 children and grew up mainly in Pico Rivera in southeastern L.A. Her parents, Leonard and Concepción Molina, immigrated to the L.A. Named for her paternal grandmother, the civic and political leader was born Jesús Gloria Molina on May 31, 1948, in Montebello. Related - Timeline: Life and times of trail-blazing L.A. “We are so proud that Gloria will be remembered in history for the impact she made on Los Angeles, the state, and country as a Chicana activist, State Assemblymember, Los Angeles City Councilmember, and Los Angeles County Supervisor,” daughter Valentina Martinez, speaking on behalf of the family, said in a statement. Washington, surrounded by loved ones.Ī public Celebration of Life will take place July 15 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a Mexican-American museum and cultural center in downtown L.A. Despite reaching such heights, those who knew her said Molina never forgot her roots and devoted her life to being a fierce advocate for the underserved.Īnd so news of her passing on Sunday, May 14, following a three-year bout with cancer, was met with an outpouring of words of admiration from politicos and civic leaders throughout L.A. County Board of Supervisors, needless to say Gloria Molina inspired legions of women, particularly Latinas, to demand a seat at the table and to hold leadership roles.Īnd with a political career that spanned more than three decades, Molina’s influence was felt at all levels of government – local, state and national. As the first Latina elected to the California state Assembly, Los Angeles City Council and L.A.
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