Nury Martinez road to Los Angeles City Council District 6 leadership
Latinas are breaking the glass ceiling! That is exactly what American politician Nury Martinez did when she was re-elected and became the first Latina President of the Los Angeles City Council District 6, on December 3, 2019.
She had already served four years as the only women on the city council since 2013. Before being unanimously elected and becoming the first Latina President, Nury Martinez was a member of the Board of Education in District 6 of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Born to immigrant parents from Zacatecas, Mexico, Nury Martinez watched her mother and father work very hard to make ends meet. Her father worked as a dishwasher, six days a week and would wake up at 4 a.m. just to catch the bus to work. Her mother worked as a factory worker in order to provide health insurance for the family.
Martinez witnessed her parents always struggle with finances and she knew she had to choose a different future for herself. She knew that education was the key to help her unlock her success and create her American dream a reality. She graduated from California State University of Northridge and has since made an impact on the city of Los Angeles.
In 2003, Nury Martinez served on the San Fernando City Council, where she implemented a living wage ordinance to provide low-income workers with just wages and benefits. Since working in the City of Los Angeles, she has worked to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
She understood from an early age the importance for working families to have access to economic opportunities and has also fought for home ownership to be accessible. She has also introduced her own “Green New Deal” agenda to help communities affected by climate change and improve the environment.
Martinez has assisted with obtaining funding for community health clinics, and helped expand the Las Palmas Senior Center, which provides seniors with health programs and education.
Being a mother herself, Nury Martinez has a passion for helping underprivileged working families. She has introduced a motion to increase the “Paid Parental Leave” for expecting parents for up to 18 weeks of 100% paid leave.
This ensures that parents receive enough time to bond with their newborn during the crucial early stages of life. Since becoming the first Latina President of the Los Angeles City Council, Martinez has outlined the “Families First” agenda, which addresses some of the greatest needs affecting the city.
She has also been a role model for little girls that share the same upbringing and background as her. Growing up, many girls in her community did not believe it was possible for them to work in these types of positions.
She has proven that it is possible since she broke the glass ceiling and become LA City Council’s first Latina President in the 170-year history. Thank you, Nury Martinez for being an inspiration for the next Latina President and thank you for all of your efforts positively impacting the City of Angels!
To support Nury Martinez, you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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