Aja Brown

About

Politician who became the mayor of Compton, CA in the year 2013 after defeating 12 candidates in the election, including the incumbent mayor and the city's former mayor. At just 31 years old, she became Compton's youngest mayor in history and the city's 8th consecutive African-American mayor. During her incumbency, she accomplished significant improvements including a 65% reduction in violent crime and the installment of a universal basic income program for low-income residents. She previously worked as Project Manager for Compton's Redevelopment Agency and implemented Compton's Apprentice Program. She also co-founded the Urban Vision Community Development Corporation.

Before Fame

After graduating from Pasadena's John Muir High School, she earned a full academic scholarship to attend the prestigious University of Southern California. She earned a bachelor's degree in policy, planning & development before going on to also receive a master's degree in urban planning with a focus on economic development. While attending, she started her career by working as an Economic Development Analyst for the city of Gardena, CA. 

Trivia

She launched a campaign to run for United States House of Representative for the 44th congressional district in 2018; however, she made the decision to cease the campaign after becoming pregnant with her first child.

Family Life

She is the daughter of Brenda Jackson. She has a fraternal twin brother named Jonathan who was widely reputed for his collegiate football career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She married her high school sweetheart Van Brown, who works as a Petrochemical Safety Manager. The pair have 2 daughters, named Jaellena and Sarailena.

Associated With

Her first name was derived from the 1977 song "Aja" by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, collectively known as Steely Dan.