Last Friday evening I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 40th anniversary gala for the Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown of the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. The program included an address by Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States. Clinton was among several local, state, and national luminaries who came to speak of Dr. Brown and his lovely wife, Mrs. Jane Brown. Jesse Jackson arrived late due to multiple issues with his flights, but he arrived and gave a sweet and heartfelt speech on the early days of the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Brown’s role in that movement. Governor Jerry Brown and former Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, added to the list of dignitaries.
Even though one would think hearing speeches by Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson would be the high points of the evening, I must admit that I was struck more by the community’s outpouring of love and admiration for Dr. Brown. The members of Third Baptist Church honored their pastor and so did the greater San Francisco community. The rabbis of Temple Emanu-El, the CEO of Kaiser-Permanente, and the president of San Francisco Conservatory of Music came and spoke of Dr. Brown’s commitment to the larger community of San Francisco. This spoke volumes to me of what Dr. Brown and his wife have been to San Francisco.
For someone who barely knew of Dr. Amos C Brown prior to Friday, I came away with a great respect for him, for his wife, and for the good people of Third Baptist Church. The world needs more “Natural-Born Agitators” like Dr. Amos C. Brown.
If you have 3 hours and 50 minutes to learn about this incredible man, grab a beer (or two) and a sandwich and watch the Livestream recording of the event.