Brown, Willie Lewis (Jr.)

Brown was born in Mineola, Texas . His childhood passed into poverty in rural areas of Texas. After graduation, he moved to San Francisco . In 1955, he graduated from the University of California at San Francisco with a bachelor's degree in political science, and in 1958 received a doctorate degree in law from Hastings College of Law. After that, he worked in private law practice for several years. In 1964, from the second attempt he was elected to the California legislature. In 1969 he became the party organizer of the Democrats, in 1980 he was elected speaker . Brown’s long presidency was one of the reasons for imposing time limits on lawmakers in California.

From January 8, 1996 to January 8, 2004, Brown served as mayor of San Francisco . He was the first African American in this position, significantly expanding racial diversity in the city administration. After the end of his second term, Brown officially announced his retirement from politics, but continued to support Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and participate in fundraising and campaigning for other politicians. Also in 2006, a short time led a talk show on the radio, in 2008 published an autobiography. He starred in small roles in several films, including Godfather 3 , George of the Jungle , Just One Night, and Princess Diaries .