PERSON: Frederica Wilson
Employer
U.S. House of Representatives
Position
Member of Congress
Biography
Frederica Smith Wilson (born Frederica Patricia Smith, November 5, 1942) is an American politician who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 2011, representing Florida’s 24th congressional district. Located in South Florida, Wilson’s congressional district, numbered 17th during her first term, covers a large swath of eastern Miami-Dade County and a sliver of southern Broward County. The district contains most of Miami’s majority-black precincts, as well as parts of Opa-locka, North Miami, Hollywood, and Miramar. Wilson gained national attention in 2012 for her comments on the death of Trayvon Martin.
Wilson is a member of the Democratic Party. The seat to which she was elected became available when the incumbent, Kendrick Meek, ran for a seat in the Senate in 2010.
Wilson is known for her large and colorful hats, of which she owns several hundred. She has gone through efforts to get Congress to lift its ban on head coverings during House sessions, which dates to 1837.
Wilson was born Frederica Smith on November 5, 1942, in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Beulah (née Finley) and Thirlee Smith. Her maternal grandparents were Bahamian. Wilson earned her bachelor of arts degree from Fisk University in 1963 and her master of arts degree from the University of Miami in 1972, both in elementary education. She served as the principal of Skyway Elementary School in Miami. In 1992 she left her position as principal to serve on the Miami-Dade County School Board. While a member of the school board, Wilson started 5,000 Role Models of Excellence, an in-school mentoring program.
Wilson represented the 104th district in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. She then represented the 33rd district in the Florida Senate from 2002 until her election to Congress in 2010, when term limits prevented her from running again. She served as Minority Leader Pro Tempore in 2006, then Minority Whip.
An early supporter of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, she voted for Obama and Joe Biden in 2008 as one of Florida’s presidential electors.
>> Wikipedia
Wilson is a member of the Democratic Party. The seat to which she was elected became available when the incumbent, Kendrick Meek, ran for a seat in the Senate in 2010.
Wilson is known for her large and colorful hats, of which she owns several hundred. She has gone through efforts to get Congress to lift its ban on head coverings during House sessions, which dates to 1837.
Wilson was born Frederica Smith on November 5, 1942, in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Beulah (née Finley) and Thirlee Smith. Her maternal grandparents were Bahamian. Wilson earned her bachelor of arts degree from Fisk University in 1963 and her master of arts degree from the University of Miami in 1972, both in elementary education. She served as the principal of Skyway Elementary School in Miami. In 1992 she left her position as principal to serve on the Miami-Dade County School Board. While a member of the school board, Wilson started 5,000 Role Models of Excellence, an in-school mentoring program.
Wilson represented the 104th district in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. She then represented the 33rd district in the Florida Senate from 2002 until her election to Congress in 2010, when term limits prevented her from running again. She served as Minority Leader Pro Tempore in 2006, then Minority Whip.
An early supporter of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, she voted for Obama and Joe Biden in 2008 as one of Florida’s presidential electors.
>> Wikipedia
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