The Life and Times of Ron Brown is a memoir by Tracey L Brown, daughter of the late Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H. Brown, who died in a plane crash on April 3, I996. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Harlem, Ron Brown grew up the beloved only child of a middle-class family in Harlem Hotel Theresa. He was the first black admitted to his fraternity, the first to serve as an officer in his army unit, the first to head a national political party and the first black commerce secretary.He rose to a top position at National Urban League, and later was deputy campaign manager for Senator Edward Kennedy and then Chief Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was Jesse Jackson's manager at the 1988 Democratic Convention in Atlanta and assumed the leadership of the Democratic National Committee in 1989. Under his stewardship, the Democratic party won the White House in 1992 for the first time in twelve years.As Commerce Secretary, Brown used his Cabinet position to stimulate American exports and international trade relations. On the home front, he initiated a vast expansion of high-tech research and development to help speed the introduction of new technology. Ron Brown was a close friend and political confidant of President Clinton.Ron Brown was also a loving father who taught his son and daughter that no matter what happened in life, they were never to give up. This book not only provides a historical record of his life, but also offers an intimate family portrait of what it was like for Ron Brown to be a super-achiever in a white-dominated country.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
In his introduction to this book, President Bill Clinton praises the late Ron Brown for his revitalization of both the Democratic Party and the Department of Commerce. With a blend of personal reminiscence and journalistic detail, his daughter Tracey shows how Brown lived up to Clinton's description.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brown became arguably the most powerful African-American in American politics through his stewardship of the Democratic National Committee. While George Bush's approval ratings soared through the roof, and his reelection in 1992 seemed a foregone conclusion, Brown worked tirelessly behind the scenes to unite the party, playing a crucial role in Bill Clinton's victory. He was powerful enough to negotiate with Clinton over exactly which Cabinet post he would accept; acquaintances suggest that he had his eyes on the long-term goal of becoming the first African-American president.
In his role as Secretary of Commerce, Brown built upon the legacy of his work at the National Urban League under Whitney M. Young Jr., fighting to make opportunities for economic improvement available not only to all Americans, but to other participants in the global economy. It was on a trade mission to Croatia that Brown died in a fatal plane crash.
Tracey L. Brown takes the opportunity to celebrate her father's life and refute critics who, during the tenure of his Cabinet post and after his death, have leveled demonstrably false charges of corruption against him. She also recounts the efforts of her family and relatives of the other 34 victims of the crash to obtain explanations for what went wrong; in addition, she deals with the persistent rumors that Brown's death was an assassination rather than an accident due to Air Force negligence.
From Publishers Weekly
At various times perfunctory and highly personal, this memoir by the daughter of President Clinton's first secretary of commerce, who died in a plane crash in Croatia in 1996, combines elements of formal biography with intimate family memories. The author, a deputy D.A. in Los Angeles, begins with a detailed description of the tragic accident that killed her father and 34 others. She then covers his rise from a comfortable childhood in Harlem through his years of good work with the Urban League. Brown turned to politics and managed Senator Edward Kennedy's failed 1979 run for the Democratic presidential nomination. With time out in the 1980s to work as a Washington lobbyist, Brown managed Jesse Jackson's presidential bid at the 1988 convention then went on to head the Democratic National Committee from 1989 to 1992. Clinton is quoted as saying he would not have been elected without Brown, whom he rewarded with a cabinet post. The author's personal touches are often rather teasing, alighting on such everyday matters as her father's inept driving and mania for neatness, while some of the long stretches of his professional life?always described here as personal triumphs?seem a bit labored. The final chapters lose much of the focus trying to explore the cause of the plane crash, detailing the many memorials to Brown and recording the author's personal anguish. The memoir is clearly a labor of love.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Life and Times of Ron Brown: A Memoir (Hardcover)
Ron Brown was AWESOME! This book tells the inspirational storyof a kid from Harlem that changed the face of national politics andreally made a difference. I like that the book tells us all about Brown's private family life as well as his public life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ron Brown was a great man who embraced and enjoyed life.,
By mbilling@wharton.upenn.edu (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Life and Times of Ron Brown: A Memoir (Hardcover)
Throughout this novel the love and affection with which the Brown's enjoyed life is evident. Along with a strong love for his family Ron Brown had a love for life. This book describes a man who was not afraid to rescue a sinking ship. Throughout his life he was the one who brought organizations up. The novel offers inspiration for all.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
