Wilma Webb

Wilma J. Webb Wilma Webb was a member of the Colorado State Legislature from 1980 to 1993. She sponsored dozens of bills including school reform and equality initiatives. She is best known for sponsoring legislation that adopted Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a Colorado state holiday prior to it becoming a national holiday,[1] and for her efforts to educate youth about King's legacy.[2]

Wilma Webb was born of parents Faye and Frank Gerdine in 1944. She married Wellington Webb in 1969. He later became the first African American Mayor of Denver, serving from 1991 to 2003.[3] She was the first First Lady of Denver to have held political office herself.[4]

She has been recognized by several organizations including the National Education Association and the Association for Retarded Citizens.

She and her husband have four adult children. She is a member of Zion Baptist Church of Denver, Colorado, and of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

References

  1. "King Day came early for Wilma Webb". Rocky Mountain News. January 18, 1983.
  2. "Shun violence, Wilma Webb pleads". Denver Post. January 17, 1994. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  3. "Wilma Webb biography". The History Makers. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  4. "Wilma Webb city's first First Lady with a resumé in politics". Denver Post. July 2, 1991. Retrieved May 1, 2011.