Parker, Elizabeth

Metadata

Abstract

An oral history of Elizabeth (Liz) Parker, former member of the Orange County Board of Education and the youngest to be elected to office at the age of twenty-two. The interview was conducted for the Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Oral History Project for California State University, Fullerton’s Center for Oral and Public History. The purpose of this interview was to gather information regarding her time spent in office as well as her time spent serving her community. Specifically, this interview provides information on Liz’s childhood growing up in a politically active Jewish traditional family; she discusses her family’s affiliation to politics and her brother’s participation in the creation of California Healthy Families; she explains how through her involvement in student government at UCLA she became active helping under-represented students from South Central schools; she discusses the election process that got her into office; she talks about the challenges during her first years in office; she explains how her age more than being a woman was her biggest disadvantage while working among men; she details information about her thirty-two years in office; she discusses the way in which politics and political campaigns have evolved over time; she explains how raising money is difficult for women who get into politics; she also explains how the Republican Party in her view discourage women from running into office; she discusses her involvement with women’s organizations such as Women in Leadership and the League of Women Voters; she explains her views on how different women lead compared to men and the reasons she thinks women have harder time succeeding in politics; she explains that shifting the role of the County Office of Education is one of her greatest accomplishments; she comments on her views on charter schools; she discusses the issues around “common core”; she discusses her future professional career plans; she explains her views on American Politics today and how as a Republican she plans to vote for Hillary Clinton; she offers a candid advise to women who are interested in getting involve in politics. Bulk Dates: 1960 - 2016 Keywords: Orange County Board of Education, League of Women Voters, under-represented students, Republican party, women in politics, Women in Leadership, Hillary Clinton, American politics, County Office of Education.