Written by Michael Palomba
Former-Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has officially been confirmed as the new Secretary of State. Her nomination is part of a political domino effect stemming from Kamala Harris’ resignation from her Senate seat to be sworn in as Vice President.
Weber filled the seat left behind by former-SOS Alex Padilla, who was appointed by Gov. Newsom to fill Kamala Harris’ previous seat. Newsom was under immense pressure from identity groups to replace Harris with a black woman, which he did not. However, by appointing Weber as the first Black SOS, he may have been able to appease them.
While this news is a victory for the Black community, it is not necessarily the best decision for Californians; including the Black community.
That’s because Weber has a troubling history when it comes to the topic of race. For example, she was a strong proponent of Proposition 16 which was on the ballot for the 2020 election. Prop 16 would’ve repealed Proposition 209, but it failed with 60% of voters voting “no.”
Prop 209, which passed by a wide margin in 1996, amended the state’s constitution to prohibit state governmental institutions from considering race, sex, and ethnicity in areas of public employment, housing, and school admissions. Essentially, Prop 209 made these decisions completely race-blind and non-discriminatory.
Prop 16 would’ve legalized discrimination based on the factors mentioned above. Meaning Shirley Weber was in support of legalizing discrimination.
In an op-ed published by the Union-Tribune, Weber claimed that Prop 209, “has allowed discriminatory hiring and contracting processes to flourish in California.” However, Prop 209 ended just that, and Prop 16 would’ve reinstated those practices in the 21st century.
Not only was Prop 16 blatantly racist and regressive, but it has been documented that raced based preferences actually hurt minority students in the long run. For example, if a student wouldn’t have been admitted to a school based on their academic achievement, but is admitted anyway because of their race, they are at a disadvantage academically compared to other students. This leads to higher dropout rates and does not level the playing field as intended. When Prop 209 was passed, minority students saw higher grades and fewer dropouts. The Heritage Foundation provides a more in-depth analysis of the damage done by race-based admissions processes.
Additionally, Weber authored AB 1460, a controversial bill that mandated students in the California State University System to take an ethnic studies class before they are eligible to graduate. Not only did this limit a student’s ability to take courses that they are interested in, but it also further politicized higher education; which is already considered by many to be very liberal.
“We’ve been told that one should move the system, get in front of the system, push the system when the system is being unresponsive,” Weber said at a rally in support of the bill, “And that’s what has happened here with the faculty and staff and students.”
The state legislature passed AB 1460 on Aug. 3rd, 2020 and it was signed into law by Governor Newsom.
It is great and long overdue that a member of the African American community will finally hold the position of Secretary of State, but Newsom’s pandering to identity groups only furthers the racial divide we are facing both in California and the nation at large. And with that divide in mind, giving a voice to groups pushing for race-based decisions and selecting a candidate who supports discriminatory practices only sets the stage for even more division.
Photo via the Associated Press
