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
At Least 16 People Died in California After Medics Injected Sedatives During Police EncountersPro-Palestinian Protests Sweep Bay Area College Campuses Amid Surging National Movement9 California Counties Far From Universities Struggle to Recruit Teachers, Says ReportCalifornia Regulators Just Approved New Rule to Cap Health Care Costs. Here's How It WorksWomen at Troubled East Bay Prison Forced to Relocate Across the CountryLess Than 1% of Santa Clara County Contracts Go to Black and Latino Businesses, Study ShowsUS Department of Labor Hails Expanded Protections for H-2A Farmworkers in Santa RosaAs Border Debate Shifts Right, Sen. Alex Padilla Emerges as Persistent Counterforce for ImmigrantsCalifornia Law Letting Property Owners Split Lots to Build New Homes Is 'Unconstitutional,' Judge RulesChristina’s Trip: 'I'll Take It'