Compton Mayoral Race: Aja Brown Defeats Omar Bradley

In a decisive victory, urban community developer, Aja Brown, 31, has defeated Omar Bradley, 55, to become the new mayor of Compton, Calif., reports the Los Angeles Times. Brown garnered 63.7 percent of the vote over Bradley’s 36.2 percent, according to the Times.

 

She defeated the controversial and charismatic Bradley who spent time in prison on corruption charges that were later overturned on a technicality.

Throughout her career, she has fought for transparency, collaboration and community involvement. She has developed community empowerment boards, business-to-business collaboratives, and employment development programs. Brown has also formulated policies that ensure residents are incorporated into every aspect of the development process, as a result of public investment into private projects.

 

In 2011, Brown co-founded Compton-based Urban Vision Community Development Corporation (CDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to community economic development and youth development in the City of Compton. Urban Vision offers programs that aid in the revitalization of Compton. Urban Vision facilitates alliances and programs that generate wealth, eradicate generational poverty and empower businesses to expand through collaboration, access to capital, education and intellectual property.