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INVENTORY OF THE JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD COLLECTION, 1984-2007
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  • Descriptive Summary
  • Administration Information
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Millender-McDonald (Juanita) Collection
    Dates: 1984-2007,
    Dates: (Bulk 1997-2007)
    Collection Number: Consult repository
    Creator: Millender-McDonald, Juanita
    Extent: 32 boxes [13.34 linear ft]
    Repository: California State University, Dominguez Hills Archives and Special Collections
    Archives & Special Collection
    University Library, Room G-145
    1000 E. Victoria Street
    Carson, California 90747
    Phone: (310) 243-3013
    URL: http://archives.csudh.edu/
    Abstract: The Juanita Millender-McDonald collection (1992-2007) includes: correspondence, newsletters, press releases, speeches, reports, flyers, questionnaires, bills and amendments, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, and ephemera including photos, plaques and video tapes. A large number of files are devoted to the Congressional Black Caucus, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Congressional Caucus on Women’s issues, California Assembly, and House Administration. Subjects include labor issues, HIV/AIDS, CIA Nicaraguan Contra scandal, education, minority issues, finance, health, the John Kerry Presidential Campaign, political practices and policies, transportation and China.
    Language: Collection material is in English

    Administration Information

    Access

    There are no access restrictions on this collection.

    Publication Rights

    All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

    Preferred Citation

    [Title of item], JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD COLLECTION, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections. University Library. California State University, Dominguez Hills

    Acquisition Information

    Materials in this collection were donated by the Millender-McDonald family in September 2007.

    Processing Information

    Processed in 2007 by Li-Wei Yang, Jean Pierre Vande Zande, and Rob Gutner.

    Biography

    Juanita Millender-McDonald (1938-2007) was an educator, civic leader and congresswoman who championed women’s and minority issues, human rights and education. She was born in Birmingham, Alabama on September 7, 1938. At three, her mother died and her father moved his family of five children to the Los Angeles area. She received her B.A. in Business at the University of Redlands (1981), and a M.A. in Education Administration from California State University, Los Angeles (1988). She began her career as an English teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) while studying for her first graduate degree. After receiving her Masters, she left the classroom to become a writer for the LAUSD and edited a textbook called Images. The textbook, which was written to steer female students toward non-traditional careers, exemplified Millender-McDonald's life-long interest in women's issues. Later, she was appointed as Director of Gender Equity Programs for the LAUSD.
    Her interest in politics began with working on local campaigns including former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s gubernatorial race (1982) and as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention (1984; and later as a state legislator, 1992; and as congresswoman, 2000). She was the first African-American woman councilmember (1990-92) and Mayor Pro Tempore (1991) of Carson, California. She began her career-long interest in transportation issues by tackling the freight train and traffic congestion in the Alameda corridor near Carson. In addition, she showed an early interest in gender equity issues by raising the pay of Carson’s city clerk and treasurer.
    Millender-McDonald was elected to the California State Legislature (1992-96) as the representative of the 55th Assembly District and became the first woman to chair both the Insurance Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. She was involved early on in raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, especially among black women. For 10 years, she held an annual AIDS Walk at Cal State Dominguez Hills. She continued to be attracted to transportation and education issues. She resolved the Alameda corridor issue through state legislation and then pursued designating the corridor as a national transportation artery for federal funding. In addition, she conducted hearings across the state for three years to create an urban education reform proposal.
    Millender-McDonald was elected to the United States Congress (1996) in a special election and represented the 37th District of California, which included Carson, Compton, Long Beach, Signal Hill and Watts. She was reelected to the six succeeding terms (1997-2007) until her death. She was considered a front-runner for the job of Secretary of Transportation if John Kerry had been elected. She was a firm believer in celebrating women’s achievements and in assisting women to fulfill their potential. As an international leader she had been proactive in building coalitions with female leaders in Spain, Africa, Afghanistan, Central America, Canada, China and India to promote the status of women leaders.
    As a member of the 109th Congress (2005-06), Millender-McDonald served as the first African-American woman to chair the House Committee on House Administration. She also served on the House Committee on Small Business including the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, the Subcommittee on Tax Finance and Exports (ranking minority member); House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure including the Subcommittee on Aviation, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation and the Subcommittee on Highways, New Democratic Coalition, Transit and Pipelines; Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, Joint Committee on Printing, and Congressional Black Caucus.

    Scope and Content

    This collection documents Millender-McDonald’s professional activities and political interests relating to her career from 1992-2007. This collection includes correspondence, newsletters, press releases, speeches, reports, flyers, questionnaires, bills and amendments, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, and ephemera including photos, plaques and video tapes. The correspondence includes letters from national political figures Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry, and Nancy Pelosi and regional politicians Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Baca John Garamendi, Betty Karnette, and Mervyn Dymally. A significant number of files are devoted to her professional activities with the Congressional Black Caucus, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Congressional Caucus on Women’s issues, California Assembly, and House Administration. Other political interests include labor issues, HIV/AIDS, CIA Nicaraguan Contra scandal, education, minority issues, finance, health, the John Kerry Presidential Campaign, political practices and policies, transportation and China.
    Whenever possible, original folder titles have been retained and the folders kept in their original order.

    Arrangement

    Indexing Terms

    Subjects

    Congressional Black Caucus
    Finance
    United States. Congress
    African American legislatures
    Transportation
    AIDS (Disease)—Social aspects
    HIV infections
    California. Legislature

    Personal Names

    Millender-McDonald, Juanita 1938-2007
    Kerry, John