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After a tough childhood, he has hit the big time.
Brown, also known as "Da Mayor" by many of his constituents, is gaining a reputation for getting things done in the city.
On June 18 a press conference was held to announce
a $41.9 million grant given to San Francisco from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money
will go toward the homeless, housing, community and
economic development. Andrew Cuomo, assistant secretary
of HUD, who presented the check believes that Brown
is paving a path for other mayors to follow.
"God bless Mayor Brown," Cuomo said.
If it weren't for his grandmother, Brown may not be where he is today. When he was a little boy she taught him about work ethic. Brown, along with his three older sisters and a younger brother, was raised in the "colored" section of Mineola, Texas. Together, the children would do their daily chores which consisted of feeding the chickens and hogs, picking yams and cotton, as well as other produce. Finally, Brown got a job in a barber shop located in a "whites-only" area, where he cleaned up and shined shoes. His price for shining shoes was 25 cents and 50 cents for boots. Customers would then throw coins into a spit-filled cup. Throughout his hardships, his dignity never wavered because Brown was determined to get out of Texas.
Upon receiving his high school diploma, Brown arrived in San Francisco by train in August of 1951. He landed himself an interview at Stanford to teach math. The interviewer, who taught at SF State, liked Brown and enrolled him on probation at that school instead. In order to pay for tuition, he worked as a shoe salesman, janitor, and a playground director.
"I'm a great fan of Willie's," said Robert A. Corrigan, president of SF State. "He was very helpful to us (SF State) when he was the speaker of Assembly. We needed strong, visible leadership in this city for a long time. We needed someone who would give a little bit of excitement to the city."
In 1955, Brown graduated with a bachelor's degree. He later went on to study at Hastings College of Law where he graduated in 1958. Due to the lack of jobs at major law firms, he went into practice by himself. He defended prostitutes, hustlers, and pimps. His knowledge was tested in 1961 when a housing developer in Forest Knolls, located west of Twin Peaks, refused to sell homes to African-Americans. Brown's vehement but articulate arguments gained him recognition and the support of many people, including whites, such as Dianne Feinstein. Although this attempt failed, Brown acquired a reputation which helped him when he ran for the state Assembly three years later.
He was elected to the Assembly in November of 1964 and was re-elected 15 times. In 1980 he was elected Assembly Speaker for California and held the position until 1995. During those 15 years as speaker, Brown convinced Gov. Pete Wilson to add $1.1 million to California's public schools and obtained the nation's first AIDS research funding.
Brown also established many legislations, such as AB803 which prohibits rejection from state funded programs based on religion, disability, age, ethnicity or sex and AB2162 which gives women the right to keep secret some personal information that was previously required on their children's birth certificates.
On Nov. 5, 1995, he was elected as San Francisco's 38th mayor. He is also the city's first African-American mayor. On Jan. 8, 1996, Brown was sworn into office and threw a huge party for the city of San Francisco.
Brown said to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle that he believes he has "been as successful as any other mayor in history -- maybe even better," since his inauguration.
"He was extraordinarily intelligent. He knows what he wants and knows how to get it. Willie Brown will be in charge," said Gene Geisler, a political science professor at SF State. "I like him as a person. I admire his talent and skill. He understands what he is doing. He has clear objectives."
Brown has made great changes in San Francisco. He implemented Together United Recommitted Forever, a program which placed former gang members on various buses, such as the 29 Sunset, to patrol and keep the peace.
Brown also supported a group of Mission High School students during one of the numerous attempts to save the jobs of three administrators that were well-liked by the students. He marched with several hundred students down the block from City Hall to the San Francisco Unified School District. He convinced Superintendent Waldemar Rojas to meet with several student representatives. The students were unsuccessful in their quest because Rojas remained steadfast in his decision.
"It seems like he is trying to get more minorities into the political field," said Judy Lau, a freshman at UC-Berkeley who graduated from Mission. "He appointed Police Chief Fred Lau into position. He's a wonderful mayor." She went on to say, "I remember at the board meeting, Mayor Brown said that Mission students seem to possess the same characteristics that he possesses. They have futures."
Lupe Arabolos, Mission principal, also believes that Brown is doing a wonderful job for Mission High as well as for the city.
"He's a wonderful champion of the students at Mission. He's visited the school four times. The students loved him and feel that he is a champion. He is a very dynamic man. He enriches the city with his experience."
Among his many achievements, he has won the Delta Sigma Theta East Bay Alumnae Chapter Leadership Award, Black American Political Association of California's Frederick Douglas Award, and the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award. Brown also has many honorary degrees in various fields, such as science and law.
Brown was married to Blanche Vitero from Berkeley. They had three children: Susan Elizabeth Brown, Robin Elaine Brown-Friedel, and Michael Elliot Brown. He also has a granddaughter, Besia Rose Friedel.
Those who work with and for Brown believe that he is a wonderful man.
"He's my boss. I love him. He's doing a great job," said Joe Andrews, special assistant to the mayor.
P.J. Johnson, Brown's assistant, said that "the mayor has been extremely successful, overall, in his first six months in office. He has a 68 percent approval rating. He has brought some excitement to the town. Johnson emphasized that "he put San Francisco back on track by making MUNI safer, by improving the economy, improving the Giants ballpark, and he balanced the budget this year. He's having a positive effect in all that he's doing. He will make San Francisco a better place for the next 10 years."