CA Secretary of State Speaks at California Western

California Western is a hub for conversations about the vital issues facing our country. As an example, this past weekend, the school hosted California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber for a dynamic discussion about her work on voting rights and reparations. 

Co-hosted by Dean Sean Scott and Visiting Professor Priscilla Ocen, the conversation was an example of the kind of empowerment for marginalized communities that CWSL seeks to model and make possible— Dr. Weber is California’s first Black Secretary of State, Dean Scott is one of only two Black women in America serving as both President and Dean of a law school, and Professor Ocen is an accomplished, widely published professor and advocate, who most recently served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, advising the DOJ on criminal justice reform. Secretary Weber summed it up well when she said, “being an African American woman in America is an amazing experience. It’s a blessing, because we draw so much power from what we’ve been through and what we put into building communities.” 

Building off of this notion, Professor Ocen asked Secretary Weber how her personal history contributes to her work. To which, Secretary Weber replied, “I carry my history everywhere,” detailing how her father, who had been an outspoken advocate for civil rights, had to flee Arkansas for fear of being lynched. Professor Weber described growing up in the projects in South Central LA, witnessing the damaging legacies of slavery and the ongoing oppression of African Americans, but also “the great resilience and perseverance of my people,” which have informed her entire career. 

Dean Scott followed up asking about the specifics of California’s work on reparations, which gave Secretary Weber the opportunity to talk about the cultural and political battles that she is waging in this area. First, convincing people in the public arena that reparations are not unusual, in our country or around the world; the challenge is convincing people that African Americans deserve them. Dr. Weber remarked, “when harm is done, the decent thing to do is to help people rebuild themselves.” 

Second, Dr. Weber has worked on passing legislation to lay the groundwork for reparations. In 2020, the California legislature created a commission that studied the history of slavery and oppression in the state and offered strategies for remediation. The result was an 1,100-page report, which Dr. Weber hopes will form the basis for further legislation to implement those strategies, including better funding for K-12 schools, free admission to state universities, investment in small Black-owned businesses, and creating pathways to home ownership. 

To conclude the conversation, Dean Scott noted that Dr. Weber had been Professor Ocen's professor and mentor and asked the two of them to comment on this dynamic. Dr. Weber noted that, as a professor, she often had students who would come to her and say they were going to drop out of school, and she would convince them to stay, because she believes it's teachers' obligation to “lift up their students and validate their stories.” Professor Ocen then told a moving story about how she had been one of those students, feeling overwhelmed after the death of her mother and not feeling able to finish a paper. She said that Dr. Weber told her that she could and should finish the paper, and, because Dr. Weber believed in her, she was able to complete it. Professor Ocen said, “She didn’t let me quit on myself. And she will not let California rest on its laurels when it comes to voting rights and reparations.”

Dean Scott ended the talk speaking directly to California Western students attending the talk, saying, “I want you to know that we—the faculty and staff—are here for you. As your dean, it is my obligation to give you a rich and interesting learning experience. And I encourage you to take advantage of our faculty, who are invested in your growth and development now and will support you long after you graduate.”