LOS ANGELES – Gloria Molina, one of the most influential and accomplished leaders in Los Angeles County’s history, has died. The first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, Los Angeles City Council, and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Molina passed away at the age of 74 after battling terminal cancer.
Molina dedicated her life to public service and was a trailblazer for women, particularly for Latinas in government. She served as a county supervisor for 23 years and was known as a fierce advocate for public health, jobs, education, parks and recreation, and the arts. She was a sharp fiscal watchdog and worked as a deputy for presidential personnel in the Jimmy Carter White House. In recognition of her leadership, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently renamed Grand Park to Gloria Molina Grand Park.
Molina’s accomplishments are vast and far-reaching, but some of her most significant contributions include her involvement in a successful lawsuit against L.A. County-USC Medical Center over unauthorized sterilizations on Latinas who were delivering their babies, as well as her campaigns against pollution, particularly waste from the Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon. Molina also helped create La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, and was instrumental in pushing for L.A.’s public transportation network to service working-class Latino communities.
Her legacy extends beyond the local level; Molina inspired future generations of politicians, such as US Senator Alex Padilla. LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn wrote a statement mourning Molina and underscored the debt women in politics, particularly in Los Angeles County, owe to Gloria Molina. “We will miss her campaigning, her deal-making, her commitment to justice, and her love for Los Angeles,” Hahn wrote.
LA Mayor Karen Bass paid tribute to Molina for her dedication to social justice and her transformational change in Los Angeles, describing her as a “force for unapologetic good.”
In lieu of flowers, the Molina family has requested that donations be made to Casa 0101 and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in her memory to inspire and empower future generations through the arts. Molina is survived by her husband, children and grandchildren.
The passing of Gloria Molina marks the loss of a titan in public service and a trailblazer for Latinas and women in government. Her contributions will continue to inform and inspire future generations of leaders.
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