California Secretary of State Shirley Weber on her mother, Mildred Nash -- Eight Children and a Giving Hand

UPDATED NOVEMBER 9, 2022

Katie interviews Dr. Shirley Weber, California Secretary of State whose mother, Mildred, raised eight kids in L.A. in the 1950s and 1960s, after she and her husband, David, fled a lynch mob in rural Arkansas in 1951.

Mildred's philosophy of life: Keep your hand open in order to give.

Dr. Weber, a retired San Diego State University professor, became a member of the California State Assembly in 2012, and was  the head of the Legislative Black Caucus.

On Tues., Nov. 8, 2022, Dr. Weber handily beat her Republican opponent, with 58% of the vote.

A wide-ranging Q&A with Dr. Weber ran  in The New York Times, in which she talked about her childhood in Arkansas, and her thoughts on being part of the democratic process: “I continue to be amazed at being able to participate in the process at this level.”

See the blog post about the Mildred Nash episode on  ourmothersourselves.com. And while you're there, please contribute your word to the mother word cloud.

Music composed and performed by Andrea Perry.
Artwork by Paula Mangin. (@PaulaBallah on Instagram)
Producer: Alice Hudson

Our Mothers Ourselves is an interview podcast that celebrates extraordinary mothers from all walks of life. Please share the one word that best describes your mother on the Mother Word Cloud.