PRESS RELEASE 

PR25-21 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2025
CONTACT: SOSPress@sos.ca.gov

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Inducted into the NAACP CA HI Legacy Hall of Fame

SACRAMENTO, CA – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., was inducted into the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) California Hawaii Legacy Hall of Fame during the 13^th Annual Legacy Hall of Fame Reception and Gala on Saturday, July 26. Secretary Weber was joined by former California State Senator Steven Bradford in receiving this year’s prestigious award.

The annual event allows the NAACP California Hawaii State Conference to honor outstanding community leaders who have fought tirelessly to advance civil rights. Secretary Weber received this year’s award for her role as California’s first African American Secretary of State, a trailblazing educator, legislator, and civil rights icon whose tireless work continues to advance equity, education, and justice across California.

“I am incredibly proud to have received this award, joining an exceptional class of honorees who have come before me,” said Secretary Weber. “I am inspired and remain dedicated to working diligently to advocate for equality, fairness, and the advancement of civil and human rights.”

The event also featured a fireside chat, in which Secretary Weber discussed her upbringing and values instilled by her parents, who fled the Jim Crow South and made their South Los Angeles home a polling place, cementing civic participation as a family tradition. She discussed the values that have guided her career, overcoming adversity, the current challenges our communities face and how to address them through continued public service, meaningful action and mentorship.

Learn more about Secretary Weber: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/about

Learn more about the NAACP California-Hawaii Legacy Hall of Fame: https://legacyhalloffame.org/

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