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Bill Greene

American politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bill Greene
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William Bradshaw Greene Jr. (November 15, 1930 – December 2, 2002) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly and the California State Senate, representing South Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate for twenty-five years.

Quick facts Member of the California Senate, Preceded by ...
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Early life

Greene was born on November 15, 1930, in Kansas City, Missouri.[1]

Greene attended the University of Michigan.[1] During the Civil Rights Movement, he demonstrated alongside Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael and James Farmer, and he was jailed in Mississippi and Louisiana for his activism.[1]

Career

Greene started his career as an assistant to Jesse M. Unruh.[1] He was the first African American to work as an assistant in the California State Assembly.[1] He was also a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.[1]

Greene served as a Democratic member of the California State Assembly from 1967 to 1975.[1] He served as a member of the California State Senate from 1975 to 1992.[1] He succeeded Mervyn M. Dymally, another African-American politician, in both houses.[1] In the Senate, he represented "South-Central Los Angeles, Watts, Bell, Compton, Cudahy, Huntington Park and South Gate".[2] He served as the chairman of the Senate Industrial Relations Committee.[2] However, in 1989-1991, he "missed more than 50% of Senate votes" due to poor health, which led to his retirement.[2]

The Bill Greene Sports Complex in Cudahy was named in his honor in 1991.[3]

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Personal life

Greene married Yvonne LaFargue.[1] They had two daughters, Alisa Rochelle and Jan Andrea.

Death

Greene died on December 2, 2002, at the Kaiser South Sacramento Medical Center in Sacramento, California.[1]

References

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