Frederica Wilson Explained

Frederica Wilson
Office1:Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida
Constituency1: (2011–2013)
(2013–present)
Term Start1:January 3, 2011
Predecessor1:Kendrick Meek
State Senate2:Florida
District2:33rd
Term Start2:November 5, 2002
Term End2:December 31, 2010
Predecessor2:Redistricted
Successor2:Oscar Braynon
State House3:Florida
District3:104th
Term Start3:November 3, 1998
Term End3:November 5, 2002
Predecessor3:Kendrick Meek
Successor3:Redistricted
Birth Name:Frederica Patricia Smith
Birth Date:5 November 1942
Birth Place:Miami, Florida, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Children:3
Education:Florida A&M University
Fisk University (BS)
University of Miami (MS)

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 . 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.[1] [2]

Wilson is a member of the Democratic Party.[3] 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.[4] [5]

Early life, education, and early career

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.[6] [7] 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.[8] [9] She served as the principal of Skyway Elementary School in Miami.[10] 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.

Florida legislature

Wilson represented the 104th district in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002. She then represented the 33rd district[11] 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.[12]

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[13]

Caucus memberships

2010 election

When Kendrick Meek retired from Florida's 17th congressional district to run for the United States Senate in 2010, Wilson ran for the open seat and won the Democratic nomination.[18] She won the November 2 general election without electoral opposition in a district where the Democratic nomination is tantamount to election.

Tenure

During the 117th Congress, Wilson voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[19]

EducationDuring her career as an educator, Wilson founded the 5000 Role Models program, which seeks to bring down dropout rates. Since her time in the Florida legislature, she has strongly opposed standardized testing.[20] She has expressed concern with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), suggesting that the funds spent administering it would be better spent on improving education by hiring more teachers, and proposing in 2012 that tutoring companies be banned from exploiting vulnerable children, "even if it means banning companies like Ignite! Learning, founded by ex-Governor Jeb Bush's brother, Neil".[21]
Tea PartyWilson has vocally opposed the Tea Party. At a Miami town hall meeting in 2011, she told citizens to remember that the Tea Party is the real enemy and that they hold Congress hostage. She said they had one goal: "to make President Obama a one-term president".[22]
Trayvon Martin caseWilson took a vocal stance in the death of Trayvon Martin, a constituent of hers whose family she said she had known all her life. She was both praised and criticized for saying shortly after the killing that the motive of the accused, George Zimmerman, was racism. She suggested in March 2012 that Zimmerman had "hunted" Martin based simply on his race.[23] She said, "Mr. Zimmerman should be arrested immediately for his own safety."[1] [2]

In March 2012, in a statement on the House floor, Wilson said, "Justice must be served. No more racial profiling!"[24] Calling the incident a "classic example of racial profiling quickly followed by murder", she called for Zimmerman to be arrested.[25] Wilson organized a rally in Miami on April 1, 2012, calling for Zimmerman's imprisonment. She criticized Florida's self-defense gun law, the "Stand Your Ground" law, in the wake of Martin's killing, even though she voted for it as a legislator. She said that when new laws work against the people, the laws "should be looked at and repealed".[26] In April 2012, Wilson said that Martin's death was "definitely" murder.[27] On July 13, 2013, a jury acquitted Zimmerman of the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.[28]

Concern was raised about Wilson's outspoken comments, with some asking if her rhetoric was "making it more difficult for the prosecutor to do her job".[29] Wilson has been calling for tougher laws to prevent racial profiling.[30]

Anti-hazingWilson led efforts to combat bullying and hazing both as the South Atlantic regional director for Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and as a member of Congress.[31] A Miami Herald reporter nicknamed her "The Haze Buster" for her public stance against hazing. She was part of a coalition of African-American fraternity and sorority leaders who launched an anti-hazing campaign after the 2011 death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion Jr.[32]
Recognition

MSNBC's "The Grio", an African-American news and opinion platform, named Wilson to "The Grio 100" for 2012.[33]

Shooting of Charles Kinsey

See main article: Shooting of Charles Kinsey. After the release of the video showing police shooting mental health therapist Charles Kinsey in her district, Wilson tweeted in July 2016 that she was shocked and angered by Kinsey's shooting, adding, "Like everyone else I have one question: Why?"[34]

Death of La David JohnsonFollowing the death of Sergeant La David Johnson on October 4, 2017, in an attack in Niger, Wilson told the press that on October 16, 2017, President Donald Trump had called Johnson's widow while she was on the way to Miami International Airport for the arrival of Johnson's remains. In the car with her were Johnson's mother and other family members, as well as Wilson, a longtime friend of the family.[35] [36] [37] [38] [39] The widow put the call on speakerphone so that Wilson and others in the car heard it. Wilson said Trump "was almost like joking" and that he said "he [Johnson] knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt". Trump later called Wilson's characterization of the conversation a "fabrication".[40] [41] Johnson's mother confirmed Wilson's account on October 18,[42] at which point the White House ceased disputing Wilson's account of the call and instead claimed that she was "mischaracterizing the spirit" of the conversation.[41] On October 23, Johnson's widow also confirmed Wilson's account.[43]

On October 19, 2017, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly gave a press briefing at the White House. A gold star parent who was present at Trump's end during the phone conversation, Kelly did not deny that Trump said the words reported.[37] But he defended Trump's comments "forcefully and emotionally", saying that Trump "in his way tried to express that opinion that he's a brave man, a fallen hero".[37] He also attacked Wilson for having listened to the phone call and claimed that she had a "history of politicizing what should be sacred moments", citing the 2015 dedication of an FBI field office in Miami as an example. He claimed that her speech at that ceremony was "about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building" from then-President Obama.[37]

The details of Kelly's statement were disproven by the video recording of the event.[44] [45] [46] During her nine-minute speech, Wilson spoke for less than three minutes about leading an effort to expedite a bill through Congress. The bill's purpose was naming the FBI building after two FBI agents slain in the line of duty; the bill would normally not have become law in time for the building's dedication ceremony. Wilson dedicated the remainder of her speech to acknowledging other politicians involved in the effort, thanking FBI personnel, and talking about the slain agents.[47] [48] The FBI secured the building's funding in 2009, before Wilson became a congresswoman in 2011.[46] The Miami Herald reported that Kelly had misquoted the cost of the building as $20 million versus the actual $194 million.[49] As a result, several newspapers have called for Kelly to apologize to Wilson.[50] [51] [52] The White House said the video did not capture all of Wilson's comments.[53]

On December 18, 2019, Wilson voted to impeach Trump.[54]

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023Wilson was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[55]

Personal life

Wilson married Paul Wilson in 1963 and was widowed when he died in 1988. She has three children. She is an Episcopalian.[56]

Wilson is an avid wearer of hats. She has a large collection that includes hundreds of hats of different varieties. She is known to wear one every day. During the tenure of former House Speaker John Boehner, she unsuccessfully asked him to waive the United States House of Representatives ban on head covering. The rule was partially relaxed after the election of two Muslim women to congress in 2018, one of whom, Ilhan Omar, wore a hijab to her swearing in on January 3, 2019.[57]

Wilson is a member of The Links.[58]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Democratic lawmakers blast police in teen killing . Smith . Donna . March 27, 2012. . October 19, 2017.
  2. Web site: Focus in Trayvon Martin case shifts to Washington . March 27, 2012 . . October 19, 2017.
  3. Web site: Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson: Biography . United States House of Representatives. wilson.house.gov . January 6, 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161207100039/https://wilson.house.gov/about/full-biography . December 7, 2016 .
  4. Web site: Sherman. Amy. November 19, 2010. Congresswoman-elect Frederica Wilson says hat ban started in 1800s but can be waived. Politifact. January 23, 2014.
  5. Web site: Clark. Lesley. Frederica Wilson backs Nancy Pelosi – but not the House hat ban. Miami Herald. November 17, 2010. January 23, 2014.
  6. News: US Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Courtesy calls on Bahamas' Government . Bahamas Weekly . June 20, 2011 . June 22, 2011.
  7. Web site: Frederica Wilson ancestry. ancestry.com. March 17, 2015. April 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112856/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/reps/wilsonfrederica.htm. dead.
  8. http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=17319 Frederica S. Wilson (FL)
  9. Web site: Wilson, Frederica. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. bioguide.congress.gov. March 17, 2015.
  10. News: Frederica Wilson and her fancy hats: Five things you need to know about the congresswoman at war with Trump. Sweeney. Dan. October 20, 2017. Sun-Sentinel.com. October 21, 2017. en-US.
  11. Web site: 2002-2004 Senate Handbook. Florida Senate Website Archive. April 13, 2018. August 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808134608/http://archive.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/Archive/SenateHandbooks/pdf/2002-04%20Handbook.pdf. dead.
  12. Web site: AP: It's official: Barack Obama elected 44th president. https://web.archive.org/web/20081217050222/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5uzTpibgiqcSURUWPVvUQRzYSIQD953FPDO0. dead. December 17, 2008.
  13. Web site: Frederica S. Wilson . Clerk of the United States House of Representatives . 5 May 2023.
  14. Web site: Membership. Congressional Black Caucus. March 7, 2018.
  15. Web site: Membership. Congressional Arts Caucus. March 13, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140644/https://artscaucus-slaughter.house.gov/membership. June 12, 2018. dead.
  16. Web site: Members. Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. June 14, 2018. June 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142643/http://www.ng911institute.org/about-the-congressional-nextgen-9-1-1-caucus. dead.
  17. Web site: Caucus Membrs. US House of Representatives . January 3, 2021.
  18. News: Chuck . Fadely . Frederica Wilson likely headed for 17th district Congressional seat . August 17, 2010 . Miami Herald . September 2, 2010 . Frederica Wilson dominated a nine-candidate field for the Democratic nomination for the 17th Congressional seat vacated by Kendrick Meek. With no apparent Republican or Conservative opposition in the general election, she will likely go to Washington. She celebrated Tuesday night at the Chef Creole restaurant in Miami Gardens..
  19. Web site: Bycoffe . Aaron . Wiederkehr . Anna . 2021-04-22 . Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden? . 2023-11-15 . FiveThirtyEight . en.
  20. News: Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.). WhoRunsGov. https://web.archive.org/web/20131106223226/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/frederica-wilson-d-fla/gIQA8EKXKP_topic.html. November 6, 2013. January 7, 2017. dead. The Washington Post.
  21. News: Wilson. Frederica. FCAT closes door for many students. Sun Sentinel. April 15, 2012. January 7, 2012. December 24, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121224213619/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-04-15/news/fl-wilson-oped0415-20120415_1_fcat-students-graduate-high-school-diploma. dead.
  22. News: Dem Congresswoman: 'The Real Enemy Is The Tea Party' [video]]. Real Clear Politics. August 23, 2011.
  23. News: Democratic lawmakers blast police in teen killing. Smith. Donna. Reuters. March 28, 2012. January 6, 2017.
  24. News: Fla. Rep. Frederica Wilson Calls for Justice on House Floor for Trayvon Martin [Video]]. Color Lines. Rivas. Jorge. March 21, 2012. Quote occurs at approximately 3 minutes, 11 seconds. January 6, 2012.
  25. News: Trayvon Martin shooting spurs lawmakers to call for more action. Condon. Stephanie. CBS News. March 21, 2012. January 6, 2017.
  26. News: Dixon. Darius. Trayvon Martin shooting: Frederica Wilson wants to nix Florida's self-defense gun law. Politico. March 21, 2012.
  27. News: Trayvon's death was murder, Congressman Frederica Wilson says . Miami Herald . April 4, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120605064317/http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/03/2729373/trayvons-death-was-murder-congresswoman.html . June 5, 2012 .
  28. News: Campo . Arian . Jury Acquits Zimmerman of All Charges . The Wall Street Journal. July 14, 2013. September 17, 2013.
  29. News: Rhetoric On Trayvon Martin Intensifies . CNN. Transcripts. March 28, 2012.
  30. News: Rep. Frederica Wilson calls for tougher laws to prohibit racial profiling. Miami Herald. April 17, 2012.
  31. Congresswoman Wilson to Introduce Federal Anti-Hazing Bill in January. https://web.archive.org/web/20121224213742/http://wilson.house.gov/common/popup/popup.cfm?action=item.print&itemID=189. December 24, 2012. December 27, 2011. United States House of Representatives. wilson.house.gov.
  32. News: Black groups launch anti-hazing campaign . Fox News . May 31, 2012.
  33. News: The Grio 2012. https://archive.today/20130104141904/http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-grio/46397430%2346397430. dead. January 4, 2013. MSNBC.
  34. News: Ortiz. Eric. Cops Shoot Unarmed Caregiver With His Hands Up While He Helps Man. July 21, 2016. NBC News. July 21, 2016.
  35. Web site: Shear. Michael D.. 'Kelly Delivers Fervent Defense of Trump's Call to Soldier's Widow. The New York Times. October 19, 2017 . October 21, 2017 .
  36. News: Phillips. Kristine. The private life of Sgt. La David Johnson, the slain soldier ensnared in a Trump controversy. The Washington Post. October 18, 2017 . October 19, 2017 .
  37. Web site: McCaskill. Roland. Kelly emotionally defends Trump's call to military widow. Politico. October 19, 2017 . October 20, 2017 .
  38. Web site: Cohen. Howard. 'He knew what he signed up for,' Trump reportedly tells widow of fallen Miami Gardens soldier . Miami Herald . October 17, 2017 . October 21, 2017 .
  39. Web site: Abramson. Alana. David T. Johnson's Widow Received His Remains. . October 18, 2017 . October 21, 2017 .
  40. Web site: Hawkins. Derek. Rep. Frederica Wilson didn't flinch at Trump's attacks. Her record explains why.. The New York Times. October 19, 2017 . October 20, 2017 .
  41. Web site: Landler. Mark. Alcindor. Yamiche. Trump's Condolence Call to Soldier's Widow Ignites an Imbroglio. The New York Times. October 18, 2017 . October 19, 2017.
  42. News: Gearan . Anne . Phillips . Kristine . Fallen soldier's mother: 'Trump did disrespect my son'. The Washington Post. October 18, 2017 . October 19, 2017 .
  43. News: Phillips. Kristine. Freedom du Lac. J.. Siegel. Rachel. Gold Star widow Myeshia Johnson said Trump stumbled recalling her husband's name. The Washington Post. October 23, 2017. October 25, 2017.
  44. News: Nakamura. David. Video shows Kelly made inaccurate claims about lawmaker in feud over Trump's condolence call. The Washington Post. October 20, 2017 . October 21, 2017 .
  45. Web site: Full video of Frederica Wilson 2015 speech at new FBI building. SunSentinel. October 21, 2017.
  46. News: CBS News. Fact-checking the John Kelly-Frederica Wilson controversy. October 21, 2017. October 21, 2017.
  47. News: AP Fact Check: Kelly Distorted Facts in Attack on Congresswoman. 2017-10-20. Bloomberg.com. 2017-10-23.
  48. News: Fact-checking John Kelly on Frederica Wilson's 2015 speech. @politifact. 2017-10-23. en.
  49. Web site: Daugherty. Alex. Kumar. Anita. Hanks. Douglas. In attack on Frederica Wilson over Trump's call to widow, John Kelly gets facts wrong. The Miami Herald. 25 October 2017.
  50. News: Editorial Board. John Kelly owes the congresswoman an apology. The Washington Post. October 21, 2017. October 21, 2017.
  51. News: Editorial. John Kelly's mistake: He owes an apology to Rep. Frederica Wilson. NY Daily News. October 20, 2017. October 21, 2017.
  52. News: Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. Frederica Wilson is no 'empty barrel,' John Kelly Editorial. Sun Sentinel. October 20, 2017. October 21, 2017.
  53. News: Sampathkumar. Mythili. White House says its 'highly inappropriate' to question Trump's chief of staff because he is a four-star general. October 20, 2017. Independent. October 24, 2017. 'She [Sanders] also said the Congresswoman "had quite a few comments that day that weren't part of that speech and weren't part of that video that were also witnessed by many people that were there — what Gen. Kelly referenced yesterday".'.
  54. Web site: Whip Count: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump. Grace. Panetta. Business Insider.
  55. Web site: Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no. Jared. Gans. May 31, 2023. June 6, 2023. The Hill.
  56. Web site: Episcopalians bring faith perspectives to Congress on both sides of political aisle. Episcopal News Service. David. Paulsen. November 9, 2017. January 16, 2021.
  57. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/1/3/18166768/rashida-tlaib-ilhan-omar-congress-thobe-hijab Rashida Tlaib's thobe and Ilhan Omar's hijab are making congressional history: There's even a hashtag: #TweetYourThobe
  58. Web site: April 20, 2019. Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Lauds The Links, Incorporated and Issues Voting Rights Call to Action. February 9, 2022. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. en. February 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220209155332/https://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/civil-rights-icon-john-lewis-lauds-the-links-incorporated-and-issues. dead.

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