Welcome and thank you so itch for being here for this historic occasion renaming of the bridge for Willie L Brown junior. This is no better person than bridge. Hes spent a lifetime providing a pathway so millions of californians could improve their lives. Please stand now as we singalong with the first song maybe. This is a wonderful occasion because we not only will sing the National Anthem but the negro National Anthem after that. This is the twotime grammy Award Winning boys Choir Academy specific boys Choir Academy we welcome them for the 3 sons under the director kevin fox oh, can you can you see by the dawns early light. What so proudly we hail. At the twilights last gleaming. Whos broad strips and stars through the per he will allows night. Over ram parts we lark with so glandly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs busting in air. Gave proof through the night. That our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star stand banner yet wave . Over the land of the free. And the home of the brave. clapping. our voices sing to the heaven ring, ring with a heartfelt liability and the revise in heart for an amazing start that to resound. King of song born of the face and heart of king born of the hope. We rise in song for the causalities the revoig. So if our song rings on. This will our hope. For the ring over the weary sing we sing for the song. We have long over a way. We have gone through 0 singing. If the we sing. With people for our story. Of our horrify gone overnight and triumph. Now we will raise our voice. It is forever in the past we sing. Those are the places. Make our hearts stronger. This is the voice. To the heart and soul. clapping. i left my heart in San Francisco. I honor it all to me. To be with little cable cars fly halfway to the stars. Some morning it is in the air. I dont care. My love waits there in San Francisco. Among the blue and clear sky. When i come home to you San Francisco. Your gotten sky will shine for me. Your golden sky will shine for me. clapping. thank you very, very much. The pacific boy Choir Academy. clapping. an academy that is supported by willie lewis brown. Well, you, you know, it took the state legislature to make this a reality but it took the i am going and the drive a Political Savvy of the lady who is the president of naacp. Ass allows decided there could be no better way to celebrate black History Month than to make history thats why were here today and alice we owe you a big debt of grutd. Thank you for being our official host today clapping you also doubt there are many people who cant be called a celebrity or dignitary. Im going to do this because our all special just read a few names of the special, special laughter well start with the mayor of sdpo San Francisco mayor ed lee and jeff is here and coworker i didnt and mark farrell and london breeding and jp Morgan Moscone and convincing and kevin shelly and regularly allergy. Cohesive craig shur and fire chief joan as well as all of you very special people. We welcome you carmen count iv u chiu is on my list and thank you for not allowing me to use your titles today. Unfortunately, i have to inform you that bar andrew young was unable to leave his people home in atlanta, georgia because of the snowstorm it was two threatening for him to travel so ambassador young who was a constant champion of dr. Martin luther king was emotional about missing this occasion. He hoped for an opportunity to talk about the sfakz of the movement and its connection to the process shown p. I. By this sermon, however, mr. Kings personal attorney one of his political advisory and for historical reasons he was a draft speech writer and one who helped him write the iconic i have a dream speech. Hes a professor at the every time of the San Francisco and a schooler at the Martin Luther king jr. At the university. Doctor jones is here to puck pick up the mandala we welcome you to the podium clapping. thank you so very much. Aefld i think the organizesers of this program are testing my skills im also a professor of the university of the San Francisco on the art of speech writing so i find ive been limited to a short period of time. Let me just say this laughter it is fitting in the naming of the bridge considers in the 50th anniversary year of the 1964 christophers movement and for the crusade for the ask the especially from the north and across the nation to journey to mississippi to register a vote. That happened 50 years ago and across the bridge galvanizing and mobile listed the consciousness of a nation leading to the civil rights voting act of 1965. There is a line that connects the krifrts voting in 1965 the Voting Rights act the crossing of edmond bridge and the crusade to register unregistered blacks in mississippi. Theres a line that connected k connects that movement here today. So willie my friends its not about the naming of the bridge but the Historical Context within this naming occurs. Several years ago dr. King said i need you to go back to california because jessie wants to meet with me i dont know what it is boo about so it met with jessie. You know, first of all, i thought that was a strange name and i learned i did my homework hes a powerful dude. We talked about but during the course of this meeting he talked about this young man he thought so much of willie brown junior. So i got back to doctor king but he likes this willie brown junior. Did you meet him, no. Several years later my point is there is a line that connects what is happened so much in this country to the work that this extraordinary Public Servant has done. Now i was the Corporate Bank lawyer in the Investment Business so i have to ask a question. I dont know which side of the bridge is being named but it is the same side as they collect the money laughter now i dont want to diminish the accomplishment but i learned it in wall street and especially with martin follow the money. I want to say personally and i have the beneficiaries 83 years ive been the beneficiary but to be here and be able to speak about you and to speak where your mature friend andrew young could be is one of the great privileges. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to salute you thank you very much clapping. you know it takes courageous people to do courage things so, now i want to talk about the man who managed the journey through the state assembly the binding resolution that gave life to alice dream and the installation of the prominent size well see about midday the sign should be unveiled and you should be able to see it if youre traveling in the right direction. Tb the 64 district of los angeles please welcome assemblyman i see demeanor hall. clapping. an old man going along the highway came at the evening cold and gray to which was flowing a tied. The old man crossed in the twilight dim and the stream had no dim but he built a bridge to span the tide. Old man said a fellow pilgrim youre wasting your strength from building here you never again shall pass this way youve crossed here deep and wide why willie would you build this bridge. The bear in mind lifted up his heady said again friend theyll follow after me a needy youth who must come this way its to that spearheaded youth my may a pitfall be he too must cross in twilight dim good friend im building this bridge for him indicative of willie brown junior clapping. good morning speaker brown, lieutenant newsom and attorney general harris and the chair woman and holly mitch and the members of the legislative caucus please stand by Holly Mitchel our chairperson clapping. mayor ed lee and distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen if you havent noticed this day is about a day named Willie L Brown junior but its not about willie brown but a boy from texas but this day is not about a boy from the south east texas area its about a man who broke down barriers of class and race of Political Lodge to build a city and state that continues to be the envy of the world. clapping. so like i said this day is not about speaker brown but a lot more. My name is that i see demeanor hall its a privilege to thorough ac r65 the resolution naming the western span the Willie L Brown bridge for which we celebrate today. I need not repeat speaker browns credentials. His history is etched in stone and the sideline of this great city and the halls of the state capital the 41th black mayor of San Francisco clapping the first africanamerican speaker of the california state lover and the longest ever in the history of california clapping but i dont need to tell you about a resolution honoring one the San Franciscos and californias greatest sons went from a no brainier to one of californias biggest battles the naming of this bridge. It was indeed bavrm by fire. It was pure old school San Francisco politics. It was classic willie l. Brown junior. clapping. many local dignitaries may not recognize me. Well, this is likely true since i proudly live and represent the good people of Compton California and the surrounding areas of South Los Angeles but when alice the president of the naacp approached me honoring speaker brown i asked maimed brown how big will the sign be . Quite honestly the first conversation was lets make it happen. Bay area and media reports were be clever to figure out that compton was down the road if San Francisco and why would a black boy be honoring this area. They began to quay what is a black man doing. The answer is quite simple. Ladies and gentlemen, i stand before you to let you know that willie brown has impacted more people outside of San Francisco. It has impacted and changed the lives of San Francisco and throughout this great nation. Willie brown will forever be a legacy for people across the world. And so me sponsoring a bill from compton ooip ive been touched by the man willie brown clapping. from the did you say thank you train station to the Community Gardens the Farmers Market in watts to the streets of compton. Willie brown is now and will be forever enter linked in the history of california with his name on the most traveled bridges of america. I shouldnt be standing before is as a member of the california state will you ever but for people statistically as an africanamerican male in my early 40s i should be raised in compton i should be in jail think drugs or to death dead. State of california willie brown should never h have graduated from school but he choose ladies and gentlemen, a different path. Were here because of the path he choose and because people like willie brown who is a forerunner for people of color across this nation he said the status quo was not acceptable and he challenged the rules about who could succeed. My mother was raised in the sdrathd texas who like mr. Brown was living in a nation too long wanted them to be separate but called equal. The story of willie brown is of any minorities of many backgrounds and why todays i naming is so important to those who look different than the founder of this great nation. While this resolution received overwhelming support in both the assembly and the state senate the final vote didnt reflect the behind the scenes work. And this resolution went through the legislature process i was frankly ladies and gentlemen, quite surprised that in spite of the of speech browns credentials and in spite of of his contributions to the people of california and in spite of of him building helping people up when others were tearing them down and opening downstairs and sealing glasses and opening up pave way for people to become successful the resolution almost didnt get out of the first policy committee. They said it was something about the rules. They said it was something about speaker brown still being alive. laughter i said rules about being alive . Well, thats new because as i began to Research California has honored any sons and daughters who are alive and contributing to our state. However, he is the on africanamerican in the state of california with the bridge or any structure state structure named after himself him he will be the first in the history of california clapping is he alive . Yes, he he is. Is is deserving of this bridge. Yes, he is. I need not recite the names of those who are alive and have a courthouse or street named after them but take my word the list is longer. They include former members of congress and state legislators but when this was brought up in committee it was the republican who made the motion much to the objection of the chair it was a republican making a motion to name this great bridge for the great work that willie brown is doing and has done for the people of california. It was the