upper waypoint

At 90, Willie Brown Reflects on His Rise to Top of California Politics

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Willie Brown talks with KQED Political Breakdown hosts Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer in his offices in San Francisco on April 2, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)

The name Willie Brown is synonymous with power politics in California. He became the first Black speaker of the state Assembly in 1980 and held the job for a record 14 years, often with help from Republicans. After term limits forced him to leave the Legislature, he ran for mayor of San Francisco, serving eight years in that job.

Scott and Marisa sit down with Brown in his San Francisco office to discuss his path from segregated Mineola, Texas, to the height of power in California.

Sponsored

lower waypoint
next waypoint
Food Stamp Farmers Market Program Could Be On Chopping BlockCalifornia Could Save Millions by Closing More Prisons. So Why Is Newsom Holding Back?San Franciscans Honor Glide Church Founder Rev. Cecil Williams at Memorial CeremonyWhat to Do When Your Bike Is Stolen in the Bay AreaCalifornia Considers Making Sobriety a Mandatory Requirement for Shelter AccessIn Transit: Amtrak's Future In CaliforniaUC Berkeley Commencement Ceremony Disrupted by Student ProtestsAs OpenAI Unveils Big Update, Protesters Call for Pause in Risky ‘Frontier’ TechOakland’s New Police Chief Starts First Week After Long, Contentious SearchUncle Chris: 'Dove on the Ocean'