Photo by Viola Gray
By Janice Hayes Kyser
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — She’s been fighting the good fight for Black people and other marginalized groups for more than four decades and “Auntie Maxine,” as U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters is affectionately known by some of her constituents, is in no ways tired of it.
Waters, the first woman and first African-American chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and currently the ranking member, is relentless — consistently and courageously advocating for women, children, people of color, the poor, veterans and seniors.
For the seemingly indefatigable 86-year-old, whose days are long and whose stamina defies her years, speaking truth to power is as much a part of who she is as her abiding faith and four-inch stilettos.
“Inside of this petite freedom fighter is a sassy 21-year-old,” says Angela Rye, commentator, advocate, political consultant and former executive director and general counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus. “Congresswoman Waters moves effortlessly around every protest, parade and the halls of Congress in high heels, I have never seen her in flats, but she is always on your level, so remarkably approachable and connected to the people and the cause. She is timeless and she always knows what time it is.”
Serving others is in her DNA. Waters, one of 13 children, grew up in St. Louis caring for her siblings, attending church, and watching her single mother, who married at 16 and didn’t complete elementary school, do whatever was needed to care for her family. Waters moved to California with her first husband and two children in the 1970s, seeking greater opportunities for their family. She says her Midwest roots and her mother’s unwavering work ethic inspire her to this day.
“I am driven by my mother’s tenacity and creativity and a sense of fairness. … All of my life I have been confronted with a lack of fairness,” Waters said. “I understand what it is like to be disrespected and dismissed. I always felt there was something I could do to advocate for my people. That’s what gets me up every day.”
Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, who represented California’s 12th Congressional District from 1998 to 2025, says Waters set the standard for those who came behind her.
“She’s a woman who is ahead of her time and always on time,” said Lee, who is currently running for mayor of Oakland. “I look up to her and I am grateful for her leadership on so many levels.”
Initially, Waters said she planned to pursue a career in social work, but realized while working for Head Start that the real power was in politics and governance, so she changed course.
She served 14 years in the California Assembly rising to chair of the Democratic Caucus before being elected to Congress in 1990, replacing the retiring Rep. Augustus Hawkins, who served South Los Angeles in Congress for 28 years.
While serving in the state Legislature, Waters was responsible for the largest divestment of state pension funds from South Africa, landmark affirmative action legislation and the nation’s first statewide Child Abuse Prevention Training, the prohibition of police strip searches for nonviolent misdemeanors and the introduction of the nation’s first plant closure law.
Former Assemblyman Mike Davis describes Waters as a national treasure, saying she is one of the foremost public policy leaders in America.
“Congresswoman Waters is an example of the American dream that you can achieve no matter where you come from,” Davis said. “She’s a reflection of the African-American experience. She comes from humble beginnings, she knows our struggle because it’s hers. She turned stumbling blocks into stepping stones yet she never lost her way, she has never forgotten where she came from.”
“I know the word on the street is don’t mess with Maxine or you’re going to have trouble,” Waters said with a laugh. “I’m not angry, I’m passionate. I care about the community and Black people. I will never stop speaking on their behalf and sometimes that means I have to speak loudly.”
Bishop Noel Jones, pastor of City of Refuge church in Los Angeles, and a close friend and confidant to Waters, says her voice is a gift to Black people throughout the diaspora.
“What makes her particularly special is not just her smart, steady and empathetic voice, but that she is also a great listener,” Jones said. “She gets it. She puts herself in other people’s shoes. And, she is brilliant and creative enough to not only hear the problems, but to solve them. She will fight to the end for you.”
In addition, Jones says, Waters is fueled by her faith.
“She has an unwavering faith. She doesn’t get discouraged no matter how dismal the situation is,” Jones said. “She understands she is an emissary of God for the people. She is a true champion of the people whether it is one or millions.”
Despite the current contentious climate in Washington, Waters, who will be 87 in August, says her energy isn’t waning. “I have no plans to retire,” she said. “I love what I do and I feel good so I’m going to let my body tell me when it’s time to call it quits.”
When Waters isn’t working, she is swimming, browsing antique stores for the Black dolls she collects, spending time with family and friends, traveling or listening to music from Sarah Vaughan to Kendrick Lamar.
In the same vein she welcomes new challenges and opportunities, Waters warmly embraces the “Auntie Maxine” moniker.
“It means people see me as part of the family, and for me that is a badge of honor,” she said.
Former Assemblyman Davis puts it this way.
“She’s Auntie Maxine because we can go to her, she is for bringing us together and she is for family and when she is throwing rocks and bricks to break down barriers she is doing it for us,” he said. “When I’m fighting for an issue that matters, I want the congresswoman with me. She’s that aunt you can count on through thick and thin.”
Janice Hayes Kyser is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers.
