The renaming of the station highlights the awesome legacy of her political career.
On Wednesday, December 6, Metro celebrated the re-naming of the Leimert Park Metro Station for the Honorable Diane E. Watson.
Metro and local officials, friends and family convened for the special day honoring the illustrious career of Watson’s public service and her recent 90th birthday. Watson was grateful for the love and support from her family, friends and colleagues.
“I just want to say thank you to all the people around me, family, friends and loved ones for allowing me to be honored today,” said Watson.
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Watson represented California’s 33rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011.
An L.A. native, Watson received her Bachelor of Arts in education from UCLA in 1956, an M.S. in school psychology from California State University, Los Angeles in 1967, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the Claremont Graduate School in 1987.
She has worked as a teacher, administer and school psychologist for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1958 to1976. She was a lecturer at California State University from 1969 to 1971 and health occupation specialist for the Bureau of Industrial Education at the California Department of Education from 1971 to 1973. From 1975 to 1978, she served on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.
Watson was a member of the California State Senate from 1978 to 1998. She was the United States ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia from 1999 to 2000. In 2003, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election to fill the vacancy after the death of Rep. Julian Dixon and was re-elected four times before retiring in 2011.
California State Senator Steven Bradford, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, Sr. and Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins spoke and shared their sentiments about the day and Watson’s legacy.
“This is her area, this is where she is from, this is what she’s uplifted, and so to be here, to be a product of her trailblazing, it’s a great honor for me myself,” said Butts.
“It’s deserving, it’s well over do. She has had such a tremendous impact on the state and this nation,” said Bradford.
He continued, “This naming of this Metro line station is just a small tribute because it wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her so, we have a lot to be thankful for Ms. Watson’s legacy.
“She’s a servant, leader, educator—there’s not enough adjectives to describe all that she’s done and continues to do for us.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Diane Watson.”
“It’s an incredible opportunity to celebrate a trailblazer and demonstrating, in just a small way, what she’s meant for transportation, for creating opportunities for our community and of course, for advancing Metro,” said Wiggins.
“It’s an honor. I feel like I’m really blessed from up above,” said Watson.
“I’m looking over at my office where I was for 20 years, right here on Crenshaw. But I was born here in the city of Los Angeles on the east side. This is the west side.
“I look up and I know that we are very, very blessed. As we try to move out towards the Pacific Ocean, the Lord is saying there will be a permanent place for you.
“Certainly, today represents that permanent place.”
