Uncrowned Community Builders

A native of Laurel, Mississippi, Willie James Brown, Jr. was born on October 2, 1936. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1959. When he returned to Mississippi, he was active with the Student Nonviolent coordinating committee, also known as SNCC. His efforts led to the integration of blacks into the workplace in downtown Laurel. Mr. Brown also worked to create a new Head Start program in the area in the early 1960s before leaving Mississippi.
He attended Syracuse University and later moved with his family to Lackawanna. He also earned master's and doctorate degrees from the University at Buffalo. His career sent him to many different communities in Western New York. Social activist Saul Alinsky recruited Mr. Brown to work for Friendship House as a community organizer. He also worked for UB as director of minority faculty and staff recruitment and was chaplain at the Alden correctional facility. He became the pastor of the New Covenant United Church of Christ in Buffalo and at the time of his death was the senior pastor emeritus.
His first wife, Barbara died in 1991. They were the parents of six sons, Willie, Timothy, Marcus, Anthony, Kevin and Jason. He was married to the Rev. Jacquelyn Ross Brown at the time of his death. He was 74 years old when he died on July 13, 2011.