Maxine Waters is an American politician who represents California’s 43rd congressional district in the House in the Congress. Waters is one of the most influential African American in the Congress.
The Early Years of Maxine Waters
Maxine Moore Carr was born on August 15, 1938, on St. Louis, Missouri. Waters’ father, Remus Carr, left the family when Maxine was two. Her mother raised Waters and her twelve siblings alone as a single mother. The family moved to Los Angeles shortly after Maxine graduated from St. Louis’s Vashon High School. Maxine Waters worked in a garment factory and as a telephone operator to support the family. Shortly afterward in 1966, Waters was hired to work as an assistant teacher with the Head Start Program at Watts. Maxine then enrolled herself at Los Angeles State College and graduated with a B.A in Sociology.
The Career of Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters was appointed to work as chief deputy to City Councilman David S. Cunningham, Jr. in 1973. Waters gradually stepped the success ladder, attending the California State Assembly in 1976. It was in the State Assembly that Maxine worked for divesting the state pension that funded any businesses active in South Africa. The apartheid policy, still in operation in South Africa, prompted her action. Maxine Waters also helped in passing the legislation within the guidelines of the divestment campaign’s Sullivan Principles. Waters’ success was now moving forward in a breakneck speed; Waters was appointed to the Democratic Caucus Chair for the Assembly.
After the retirement of Augustus F. Hawkins, Maxine Waters won the seat at the United States House of Representatives to represent California’s 43rd congressional district. Waters was elected with over 79% of the popular vote; she would be reelected with similar vote counts for years to come.
Maxine Waters and Presidents
Trump released a tax proposal & now he needs to show us the receipts. American people need to know how it benefits him & billionaire cabinet pic.twitter.com/viSdD9Afik
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) April 27, 2017
She has been very vocal about her support of the black community. Waters highly criticized Barack Obama, the first African American U.S president, for being insufficient while showing support for the community. Maxine was mainly concerned for despite being a historical president, Obama was not able to achieve anything historic for the African American community. The other president that Waters has been known to widely criticize is the one who followed Obama into the oval office- Donald J. Trump. Maxine Waters publicly called Trump “a bully, an egotistical maniac, a lair” and Trump “did not need to be President”. After Trump was elected to the office, Waters began calling for his impeachment for she believed that Trump would definitely create “chaos and division” in the country. However, this has not been the only time that Waters has targeted a Republican president; Waters had previously labeled George W. Bush as a “racist”.
Personal Life & Net Worth
Maxine Moore Carr married Edward Waters in 1956; Maxine took on Waters’s surname after marriage. The couple divorced in 1972. In 1977, Maxine Waters married Sid Williams, a diplomat in the Clinton Administration. The couple has two children. Maxine Waters has an estimated net worth of around $25 million.
Interesting Facts
- Waters is the senior most African American woman serving in Congress.
- She is a co-founder of Black Women’s Forum.
