Former SF mayor Willie Brown to speak Feb. 2 on Hayward campus
Willie Brown, Jr.
- January 4, 2010
Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, Jr., a political icon both in the state and Bay Area, will speak at noon Tuesday, Feb. 2 on the Hayward campus of California State University, East Bay on “The State of California Politics.
The program in the New University Union Multipurpose Room is free and open to all. The 60-minute lecture will be followed by a 30-minute question and answer period.
Brown, who remains active in politics and writes a weekly column on the political climate, served more than 30 years in the California State Assembly, 15 as Speaker. He then served two terms as San Francisco mayor, the first African American to do so.
Brown is a product of the California State University system, having graduated from San Francisco State before earning a law degree from the University of California, Hastings.
The program is a joint project of "Associated Students, Inc. Presents," an ASI department responsible for programming campus activities that supplement the CSUEB college experience, the Political Science Department, and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS).
“The venerable Willie Brown has been a fixture of California politics for four decades," said David Baggins, political science professor and department chair. "In his 30 years in the California State Assembly he battled for making the state less punitive and more free to diverse behavior.
“His 15 years as Speaker of the Assembly remain one of the most effective periods of legislative leadership in the state's history. As mayor of San Francisco, he strove to beautify the city. Extensive redesign of the Embarcadero and of City Hall remain monuments to his deep sense of style and leadership,” said Baggins.
This is the first in a series of programs on an array of political events being planned by ASI and the Political Science Department in advance of the November California general election. Topics will be chosen from among the unprecedented set of initiatives headed for the ballot, including change to budget rules, amendment of tax rules, legalization of marijuana, and even a Constitutional Convention. Details will be announced, as they are available.
For information on Brown’s presentation, contact Jonathan Stoll, ASI program coordinator, at or (510) 885-3908. Campus parking is available in pay lots for $7 per day.
CSUEB welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodation upon request by calling (510) 885-3908 in advance of the event.