Anthony Brown: BiographyService to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. – Muhammed Ali Anthony Brown has lived his whole life in service to others, committed to fighting for Maryland’s families in the General Assembly and for America as a soldier. Once called a “new face with old-fashioned values,â€? Anthony will bring those same values – service, hard work and a commitment to family – with him as Maryland’s next Lieutenant Governor. He is committed to fighting for the future of Maryland and helping restore leadership that works for the families of our state. Together, he and Martin O’Malley will make Maryland the strongest state in the nation. Anthony’s dedication to serving others and serving the state of Maryland is founded on the lessons and example of his parents. Like so many that came before them, Anthony’s parents came to America in search of opportunity and the promise of a better life for their family. His father came to the United States from Jamaica to attend Fordham University. Anthony’s mother was born in a small town in the Swiss Alps. For most of his career, Anthony’s father worked as a doctor in some of the poorest hospitals in New York, caring for those communities most in need. At the age of 81, he still sees patients one day a week. Both his parents instilled in Anthony a lesson that he still carries with him today – success in life is measured in service to others.
After completing a tour of active duty in 1989, Anthony entered Harvard Law School. Upon graduation, Anthony took up the practice of law. It was during these years as a young lawyer when Anthony honed his skills as an advocate and continued his commitment to service, earning the 1999 Pro Bono Award for his service to indigent clients. With the lesson of his parents still in mind, Anthony felt compelled to serve his community in the Maryland General Assembly, where he fights daily for hard-working Maryland families. In addition to his role as Majority Whip, Brown holds positions on the Judiciary Committee and the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. Anthony learned from his parents that the best possession is not a material good, but a good education, and he knows that a good education is a right that all of our children deserve, regardless of income or background. Anthony has made education one of his top priorities. As a member and former chairman of the Board of Trustees of Prince George’s County Community College, Anthony worked tirelessly to give all students a chance at higher education. While in the legislature, he served on the Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Accessibility. Anthony affirms the thought of his Harvard Law School classmate Barack Obama who has said: We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.
No one person has all the answers to solving the problems and meeting the challenges in Maryland. Every issue, no matter how simple or complex, benefits from the diversity of ideas, experiences and beliefs that are brought into the process. True leadership requires bringing people and ideas together to move all of us forward. In 2005, Anthony again proudly answered his country’s call to duty, and was deployed as a reservist to Iraq as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In Fallujah, Kirkuk and Basra, Anthony worked with local and military officials to deliver humanitarian assistance and rebuild a war-torn Iraq. In recognition of his distinguished service Anthony has earned the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Iraq Campaign Medal. Anthony’s experiences in Iraq taught him lasting lessons that inform his approach to public service. He has seen first hand the courage and candor it takes to stand up to the powers that be, and draw a line in the sand in defense of freedom and democracy. He gained a greater appreciation for the incredible sacrifices that normal, everyday people are willing make in order to see that our children grown up in a better world than the one we grew up in. And, he knows that people all over the world are fundamentally the same… whether they live in Lanham, Aberdeen, Baghdad or Basra. We all want safe neighborhoods in which to raise our families. We all want a greater opportunity to provide for the people we love. We all want a solid education for our children. And, we all want leadership that understands those needs and that works in the interests of the people.
Anthony’s numerous other awards include: Disabled American Veterans Service Award, 2006; National Conference of State Legislators’ Medal of Civic Honor, 2005; Prince George’s County Educators’ Association 2005 Distinguished Community Service Award; Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) 2005 Light for Children Award; Maryland Justice Coalition 2004 Leadership Award; Maryland Social Services Administration 2003 Adoption Visionary Award; and Maryland State Medical Society 2003 Legislator of the Year Award. But what gives Anthony the greatest pride is his family. He lives in Mitchellville with his wife, Patricia, a health lawyer, and their two children. He met Patricia in law school in evidence class, where she was president of the Women’s Law Association and he was an officer of the Black Law Student Association. In his free time, Anthony takes their six year old son Jonathan to martial arts classes or goes horseback riding with their eleven-year old daughter Rebecca. The Brown family attends St. Joseph’s Church in Largo. |
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These values led Anthony to Harvard, where he joined the Army ROTC program. After graduating with academic honors and as a distinguished military graduate, Anthony served on active duty as a helicopter pilot with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in Europe, where he graduated first in his U.S. Army flight school class at Ft. Rucker.
His experience in the General Assembly gave Anthony a valuable perspective on true leadership:
Anthony also works to serve his community as a member of the Board of Directors for Adoptions Together, Inc, where he has devoted his energies to reform Maryland’s foster care and adoption laws because he knows that in order to have a stronger Maryland, we need stronger families. Anthony also serves on the Board of Directors for the Law Foundation of Prince George’s County, which is committed to providing legal services to those who are least able to afford those services.