Aja Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aja Brown
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| 18th Mayor of Compton | |
| In office July 2, 2013 – June 30, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Eric J. Perrodin |
| Succeeded by | Emma Sharif |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Aja Lena Clinkscale
April 17, 1982 Altadena, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Jonathan Clinkscale (twin) |
| Education | University of Southern California (BS, MUP) |
Aja Lena Brown, born on April 17, 1982, is an American politician. She served as the mayor of Compton, California from 2013 to 2021. She won her election by beating the mayor at the time, Eric J. Perrodin, and a former mayor, Omar Bradley.
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Early Life and Education
Aja Lena Clinkscale was born in Altadena, California. Her mother, Brenda Jackson, worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech. Aja has a twin brother named Jonathan Clinkscale. Her mother grew up in East Compton.
School and College Years
In 2000, Aja Brown graduated from John Muir High School in Pasadena, California. She then attended the University of Southern California on a full scholarship. In 2004, she earned a bachelor's degree in policy, planning, and development. This degree covered public policy, urban planning, and development. The next year, in 2005, she received a master's degree in urban planning, focusing on economic development.
Career Before Becoming Mayor
Aja Brown started her career in city planning and economic development.
Working for Cities
In 2004, while still at USC, Brown began working for the City of Gardena, California. She was an Economic Development Analyst, helping the city grow its economy.
In 2006, she moved to the City of Inglewood, California as an Urban Planner. She helped plan how the city would develop. From 2007 to 2009, she was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Pasadena.
Helping Compton Grow
In 2009, Brown joined Compton's Redevelopment Agency. She worked as a Redevelopment Project Manager. Her main goal was to help make Compton a better place. She helped create rules to benefit the community and started groups to improve downtown Compton. She also oversaw projects for urban planning and economic growth. Brown also created Compton's Apprentice Program. This program helped create jobs for people living in Compton on city projects.
In 2011, Brown co-founded the Urban Vision Community Development Corporation. This non-profit group in Compton helps with community economic growth and youth development. She also created successful re-branding programs for different cities. She won an award in 2012 for her "Yes!" campaign for Compton. She also helped promote programs to help first-time home buyers and attract experts in land use and transportation to Compton.
Mayor of Compton (2013–2021)
Aja Brown made history when she became the mayor of Compton.
Becoming Mayor
In October 2012, Aja Brown decided to run for mayor of Compton. She called her plan a "New Vision for Compton." Even though she was new to politics, she won the election. She beat 12 other candidates, including the current mayor, Eric J. Perrodin, and former mayor, Omar Bradley. At 31 years old, she became the youngest mayor of Compton. She was also the eighth African-American person in a row to be elected as mayor.
Compton's 12-Point Plan
As mayor, Aja Brown started a "12-point plan" to help Compton improve. She had noticed that many important parts of the city needed updating or were missing. Her plan aimed to fix problems in many areas. These included helping young people, improving city buildings and roads, working with schools, and boosting the economy. She made sure residents could easily follow the city's progress on this plan.
Reducing Crime and Violence
In 2014, Mayor Brown started working to reduce violence in Compton. She reached out to leaders of local gangs through former members to talk about peace. Instead of relying only on police, she focused on solving conflicts. Since these meetings began, violent activity and crime in Compton have gone down by about 65 percent compared to the highest levels 25 years ago.
Compton Pledge Program
In 2021, Compton started a program called the Compton Pledge. This program gave monthly payments to low-income residents. It was funded by donations and aimed to help up to 800 people. This made Compton one of the larger cities in the U.S. trying this type of community economic support.
Personal Life
Aja Brown is married to Van Brown, who works as a Petrochemical Safety Manager. They met and started dating in high school. Van Brown also played football at the University of Southern California. The couple moved to Compton in 2009. They are members of Faith Inspirational Missionary Baptist Church, where they help with community outreach programs. Their first daughter was born in 2018.
Aja Brown's first name comes from the Steely Dan song, "Aja." This was her mother's favorite song from the 1977 album, Aja.
