Legend has it that women hold up half the sky. But in Los Angeles County, since last November, five women supervisors are holding up all the sky for more than 10 million people. On November 3, 2020, Holly Mitchell, a Black state senator, was elected to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and tipping it to an all-woman board governing a population larger than some nations. While many women have been elected to public office, it is still unusual to have a majority of women on a government body.
The past presidents of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee (SBWPC) are honored to have Supervisor Holly Mitchell as our keynote speaker at our annual event, virtual this year, which takes place on March 11, the Thursday following International Women’s Day, which is Monday, March 8. The event recognizes powerful women legislators, among whose ranks Mitchell belongs. She has said that “when women reach a plurality on any elected body, there’s a stark difference in the nature of policy making. There is a renewed focus on issues that are germane to women and girls.”
While in the State Senate, Mitchell chaired the budget committee, and was vice chair of the joint legislative subcommittee on Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response. She worked on a package of criminal justice reform bills, transitional housing for foster youth to prevent homelessness, and mental health care services for vulnerable residents. A bill she is particularly proud of is the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act), which prohibits discrimination against Black people in workplaces and schools for wearing their hair in afros, braids, twists, or locks. It recognizes that much discrimination is based on outward appearance.