| Some of Verna’s former students, as well as individuals who benefited from her informal mentoring, have gone on to become leaders in fields as varied as catering, real estate, education, and politics. Verna’s former paperboy, Fourth District Councilmember Tony Young, still looks up to this icon of the Democratic Party. Former Memorial Junior High School student, Debra Stephens, is now a successful San Diego realtor. Former student Lera Johnson went on to found such organizations as “Ladies Over Forty” (a group devoted to assisting disadvantaged San Diegan youth) and Abbas Low Budget Catering, whose wonderful food we are enjoying tonight. Lera’s brother, Leroy Brown, owns and operates the only black-owned business in Old Town—San Diego House of Coffee and Tea. And the list goes on. Political Activist In 1944, Verna King volunteered her home as a polling place. However, her neighbors— angered at the thought of a Black-owned home being designated as the neighborhood polling site—forced the registrar of voters to relocate the polls to a “more acceptable” location. While this incident was extremely hurtful, it did not deter Verna from purposeful service to the field of politics. Rather, it strengthened her resolve to increase the political participation of all San Diegans, regardless of race, gender and economic class. By 1955, she would receive the Key to the City of San Diego from Mayor Charles Dail and be recognized as “Woman of the Year” in the State of California for those efforts. And that was just the beginning. During the 1940s, the Democratic Party’s presence in San Diego was quite limited. Verna King would help change all that through her well-established reputation as “hostess extraordinaire.” She held the first Democratic Coffee Klatch in San Diego and, over time, would host numerous political fundraisers and preside over various Democratic political meetings—all in the tastefully appointed King home. Claiming that Verna King “never knew a paper plate,” Richard Peerson recalls many a political event at the King home where Verna served her “fabulous ambrosia” on the “finest china” with “immaculate flair.” Verna started the practice in San Diego of “knocking on doors” on behalf of Democratic candidates. Sometimes the door-knocker and the candidate were one and the same, as Verna would eventually campaign for political positions in her own right. Verna won a bid for the Linda Vista Council in 1944. Verna King served as a political consultant for the Democratic Party from 1947 until 1977. From 1948 to 1955, Verna managed many local, state and national campaigns for well-known Democratic candidates, including Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, Senator John Sparkman, Governor Pat Brown, Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin, Mayor Tom Bradley and Presidential candidate Walter Mondale. Over the years, Verna served in numerous leadership positions within the Democratic Party that would make a critical difference within American politics, including service on the California State Committee beginning in the early 1950s, service as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention starting in 1976, as well as decades-long service on the Democratic Central Committee that continues to the present. She also served as vice chair of the 79th Assembly District Committee, served on the 44th Congressional Advisory Committee, and was a charter member of the San Diego Council of Democratic Women. Recognized as someone who made a critical difference in a candidate’s chances for election, Verna has received dozens of accolades from all levels of the Democratic Party. Her correspondence files contain personalized letters of thanks from numerous presidential candidates, ranging from Adlai Stevenson to Bill Clinton. In 1983, she received the Democratic Volunteer of the Year Award from the Democratic County Central Committee. In 1988, then-Chairman John Kerry presented Verna with a Certificate of Recognition for her role as “a Founding Member . . . of the Democratic Majority Action Fund.” Former U.S. Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin has described Verna as the “ideal Democrat,” stating that Ms. King’s penchant for “giving of herself in general community service—with emphasis on creating better schools” added “great credibility to her political work.” Remarkably, Verna King, the “ideal Democrat,” has been listed in every edition of “Who’s Who in America” and/or “Who’s Who in Politics” since the 1970s. In the 1990s, Verna received further recognition for her service to the Democratic Party,including such prestigious awards as the Jefferson Jackson Chair of the Year (1990),Henry Auerbach Award (1990), Woman of the Year (1990), and the Peter Chacon Award. Verna King remains a mainstay of the California Democratic Party, continuing to serve in various capacities including as a Delegate to the State Democratic Convention and as a member of the Democratic County Central Committee. She first served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1976, and has attended every national convention as a delegate since 1988. Verna also continues to be an informal political leader whose wisdom and acumen have learned her the respect of politicians and community leaders across the country, regardless of race/ethnicity, sexuality, or gender. In tribute to Verna’s passion for justice and fairness for everyone, longtime political ally and friend Rachael Ortiz has observed that—no matter the issue—“Verna knows she can count on support from the Latina/o community because the Latina/o community knows Verna can always be counted on to do what is right and fair.” In conjunction with tonight’s tribute, U.S. Congressman Bob Filner has entered a statement about Ms. King into the Congressional Record, and on April 4, 2005, 4th District Councilman Tony Young will propose a joint resolution declaring the day “Verna King Day” in the City of San Diego. Community Engagement A life member of the San Diego Branch NAACP, Verna King has consistently supported human and civil rights organizations devoted to education, social justice, political inclusion and equality. Verna is a charter member of the San Diego Council of Democratic Women, a charter member and past-president of Women Inc. and a former board member of the YWCA, the San Diego Historical Site Board, and the United Nations Board. Verna is a charter member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Epsilon Xi Omega Chapter and has served as its basileus. In continuing service to her sorority, Ms. King has designated the AKA scholarship fund as the recipient of this event’s net proceeds. As in other arenas of her life, Verna has been recognized for her community service. She was presented with a Community Service Award in 1979 by then-Supervisor Jim Bates. She was selected as one of San Diego’s Women of Dedication in 1985 and received the Logan Heights Memorial Award in 1988. In 2004, Verna was honored by the Top Ladies of Distinction, San Diego Chapter, in a special tribute to grandmothers. Nominated by Women, Inc., Verna was acknowledged for over fifty years of service to the community, as well as for her educational advocacy and political activism. Significantly, she was also acknowledged for being “deeply committed to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, [while remaining] active in many worthwhile community activities.” Verna’s activism has always had a strong spiritual base. While best known for her work in the educational and political arenas, Verna has also been an active member of San Diego’s faith community. She has been a member of First United Methodist Church of San Diego since she, Alonzo and their children joined in 1958. Over the years, she has been involved with the Education Board and the “Putting It All Together” campaign. She has been a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Women’s Society for Christian Service, a member of the Church’s Official Board, and a lay scripture reader. Through it all—in the schools, in the church, in the political arena and in the community- -Verna King has demonstrated a passion for justice and an enduring love for her faith, her family, and human kind as a whole. She has been, and continues to be, a light, a leader, and an uplifter. For all these reasons and more, we celebrate Ms. Verna Lee King— sister, friend, and truly “phenomenal” Black woman of achievement—for her life of service. |
© 2008 San Diego Democratic Women's Club