What Happened To Willie Brown After Netflix’s Shirley Movie

Willie Brown was a key figure in the Netflix political biopic Shirley. The new Netflix historical biopic follows the true story of Chisholm’s historic rise from becoming the first black American woman in the U.S. Congress to the first black American woman to ever run for President of the United States. Although Brown was not depicted onscreen in Shirley, he still played a part in Shirley Chisholm’s historic presidential campaign in 1972.

Shirley has an outstanding cast led by Regina King, Lucas Hedges, Terrence Howard, and the late actor Lance Reddick, who made one of his final posthumous appearances in the film. Many characters in Shirley are dramatized portrayals of real-life political candidates, volunteers, activists, and other significant personnel involved in Chisholm’s trailblazing campaign. These include Congresswoman Barbara Lee and prominent attorney Robert C. Gottlieb, who were both early supporters of Chisholm.

Brown Had A Long Political Career In The California State Assembly

After the events depicted in Shirley, Willie Brown continued his impressive career in the California State Assembly. Brown was a Member of the California State Assembly’s 18th district from 1965 until 1974. He was then a Member of the California State Assembly’s 17th district from 1974 to 1992 and the 13th district from 1992 until 1995. During that time, he also served as the 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly from 1980 to 1995.

Before starting his political career, Brown became one of the first black criminal defense attorneys in San Francisco during the 1950s and 1960s. He briefly served in the California Army National Guard’s Medical Battalion and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Brown emerged to become one of the most powerful people in the history of the California State Assembly and was a highly popular figure in San Francisco. Because of Brown’s 15-year tenure as the 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly, a new term limit was enforced on state legislators in California.

Brown Became The 41st Mayor Of San Francisco From 1996 To 2004

Following his historic run as the 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly, Brown seamlessly transitioned into becoming the 41st Mayor of San Francisco. As the city’s first black Mayor, Brown held this position from 1996 to 2004 when he was succeeded by the current Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, who is considered his political protégé. Brown retired from politics in 2004 and has occasionally appeared as a pundit on political television shows. Now 90 years old, Brown has notable cameos in movies such as The Godfather Part III (1990), George of the Jungle (1997), and The Princess Diaries (2001) but does not appear in Shirley.