Women’s History Outstanding Black Women

Gerri Warren

Publisher (1946-2009)

Gerri Warren, Publisher, Pastor, Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, made outstanding social and civic contributions on both the East and West Coast. Born and raised in Florida, she moved to San Diego and raised two daughters while serving as President of the local NAACP, Field Representative to President of the State Senate, Delegate to Viewpoint newspaper, Founder of the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce and, Chairperson of the California Black Chamber of Commerce and Creator of the Gold Coast Classic Football event as President of the African American Sports Association.

Dolores Van RensalierWarren

Activist (b. 1940)

Dolores Van Rensalier-Warren, Founder and President of the Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground RailRoad Foundation, where, once a vacant lot, she led the development of what is today the Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Monument, now listed as one of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. She is the author of Bridge Street to Freedom, which tells the story of her great grandfather, William Van-Rensalier, and his white friend, Josiah Huntoon, who jointly operated the underground railroad site for runaway slaves at Huntoon’s home. The site contains over 161 personalized bricks from across the nation, and the rare 1871 Freedom Bell rang at the passage of the 13th Amendment. A 21 year City of Los Angeles employee, with

Shirley Weber

California Secretary of State (b. 1948) over 40 community, City, State and National awards, Dolores conceived and founded the Watts Senior Center Rose Garden, a nationally accredited rose garden and heritage site. She was a Red Cross Volunteer in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, is the recipient of four Who’s Who In America national honor inductions and four awards for authorship, and provides philanthropic donations of the proceeds of Bridge Street to Freedom to the Paterson-Passaic Community College as part of the archival history of the Huntoon-Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Monument. elected to public office in San Diego. She was also the first Black woman to serve on the San Diego Unified School board in 1981 and was inducted in the San Diego Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

Photo credit: SD PoliceMuseum.com

Roulette Armstead

(d. 2020)

Roulette Armstead was the first woman and the first African American to become Assistant Chief of Police in the San Diego Police Department in 1992. She is known nationally as “one of the pioneers in law enforcement,” and was integral in developing the Police Department’s domestic violence unit and created an equal employment office to receive complaints.

Myrtle Cole (b. 1949)

Myrtle Cole is the first African American council woman elected in San Diego in 2017. While in office, she opened the first drugstore on Euclid Avenue, installed Market Street Sidewalks, and opened the new Skyline Hills Branch Library.

In 2021, Shirley Weber was sworn in as California’s Secretary of State, making her the first Black California Secretary of State. She is a former professor of Africana studies at San Diego State University and has spearheaded many legislative acts to get better treatment of Black people in America.

Patricia A.McQuater (b. 1955)

Patricia A. McQuater was the first African American appointed to the San Diego Board of Port/Airport Commissioners in 1999. McQuater was an attorney for over 25 years at Solar Turbines Incorporated.

Danielle

(b. 1989)

Danielle Moore was nominated to the San Diego Unified Port Board of Commissioners in 2022. She is a renewable energy attorney and manages multi-million dollar transactions. Moore uses her legal and business skills to help serve the San Diego community.

Karen

(b. 1953)

Prior to becoming the first woman and second African American to be elected, in 2022, as Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Karen Bass served in the U.S. House of Representatives (2011 to 2022), and in the California State Assembly (2004 to 2010), the first Black woman to lead any state legislature, nationwide.