Bay Area

London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco

Published

6 years ago

March 19, 2020

London Nicole Breed became the 45th Mayor of San Francisco on July 11, 2018. She is the first black woman and second woman to be elected mayor of San Francisco. Previously Breed was the president of the Board of Supervisors from 2015 to 2018.

Born in the Western Addition, she was raised by her grandmother in Plaza East public housing. Writing of her childhood, Breed indicated that the family of five lived on $900 per month in a place where violence was never far away. Her sister died of a drug overdose in 2006 and her brother is in prison serving a 44-year sentence for manslaughter and armed robbery. She graduated with honors from Galileo High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Davis in 1997, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco in 2012.

During her bid for reelection to the Board of Supervisors in 2016, Breed pledged to build and protect affordable housing, increase public safety, improve environmental health and modernize public transportation. Dean Preston, an attorney, lost to Breed by a 52% to 48% margin on Nov. 8, 2016. She was unanimously reelected to another two-year term as Board President on Jan. 9, 2017.

On Dec. 12, 2017, Mayor Ed Lee died unexpectedly of heart failure, and Breed became the city’s Acting Mayor by virtue of her position as President of the Board.

Breed ran in the mayoral special election on June 5th and won. As mayor, Breed began her term by walking through different neighborhoods and created a task force with the Department of Public Works to clean up the city sidewalks. She made homelessness an early focus of her administration, declaring a shelter crisis in San Francisco which allowed the city to waive certain permitting and contracting requirements for homeless shelters, and has worked to expand mental health and substance abuse recovery beds. She used 415 million in property taxes to fund housing and homelessness programs and also authored legislation with Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to expand San Francisco’s conservatorship laws, based on California Senate Bill 1045, authored by State Senator Scott Wiener.

Breed has fought for more funding for emergency medical services succeeding in getting $47 million invested to hire EMT’s, paramedics, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers in addition to purchasing new ambulances and fire trucks and improved fire department facilities. Her improvement increased response times by over 26%.

In 2015 opposed a proposal to build a $380 million dollar new jail for San Francisco. “I’ve seen way too many people from my community, friends, even family members, end up on the wrong side of these iron bars.” She stated that the proposal was “a return to an era of mass incarceration, an era San Francisco is trying to leave behind”.

In 2015 Breed helped pass “neighborhood preference” legislation for affordable housing, prioritizing communities at risk of economic displacement. She is a major advocate for modular housing and has announced a partnership with labor unions to build a modular housing factory near or in San Francisco.

In 2019 she requested 200 million dollars for a program entitled “UrgentCareSF” to address homelessness and the mentally ill.

Tanya Dennis

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Bay Area

IN MEMORIAM: Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73

Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73 Caption: Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love i

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love in the comfort of her home. To her children, she was royalty, grace, strength, and unconditional love embodied.

Debra Diane Edgar was born on May 28, 1952, in San Francisco, California, to Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Charles Edgar Jr., affectionately known as “Little Brother” or “Lil Bruh.” She also shared close bonds with her older siblings Carol Edgar-Lang, Maryann Edgar Calloway, and Lonnie Lewis Sr.

A proud product of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District, Debra attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she met her lifelong best friend and adopted sister, Lynn Green, in the fifth grade. She later attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Debra’s mother transitioned when she was only 17 years old, and her father transitioned when she was 23. Despite these profound losses, Debra remained grounded through the love and support of extended family and lifelong family friends,

In 1971, she married Harold King. On Sept. 24, 1972, they welcomed their first son, Dajuan Artese King, affectionately called “Pop” or “Poppa.” On Aug. 5, 1976, they welcomed their second son, Dante Dupree King, affectionately called “Tay” or “Taboocoo the Baby.”

After her divorce in 1982, Debra assumed full responsibility for raising her sons.

She supported Dajuan’s passion for football by purchasing sports equipment and attending games faithfully. She supported Dante’s love of music by enrolling him in the San Francisco Boys Choir, Oakland Boys Choir, and the Castlemont Castleers.

Professionally, Debra built an exceptional career. She worked at Blue Shield of California from 1973 until 1994, earning multiple promotions.

She later joined the Oakland Unified School District, initially in a temporary role before being promoted into management within the Labor Relations Department. She retired from OUSD in 2015 after years of distinguished service. During her years at OUSD, she built meaningful friendships with her colleagues.

Faith was central to Debra’s life. During the 1980s, following personal hardship, she joined Love Center Church under the leadership of Bishop Walter Hawkins, where she brought her children regularly. She later became a member of Triumphant: A Church Without Walls Ministries under Pastor Dr. Larry Short, who became a beloved spiritual mentor.

After Triumphant closed in 1992, Debra joined Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland under the leadership of Pastor Larry Ashley, where she remained for the rest of her life.

At Cosmopolitan, she worked in numerous ministries. She served on the usher board, sang in the choir, participated in the AIDS ministry during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped feed and support unhoused community members, and mentored and supported a group of young girls.

After retirement, she cared for older adults in her church community, driving them to appointments, cleaning their homes, managing finances, preparing meals, and helping families navigate funeral arrangements after loved ones transitioned.

Even while battling Stage 4 cancer herself, she continued caring for others.

Debra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar; her brothers, Lonnie Lewis Sr. and Charles Edgar Jr.; her sisters, Maryann Edgar Calloway and Victoria Stephenson Knight; and her adopted mother, Clara Oliver.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved sons, Dajuan King and Dante King; grandson, Tiyler Dajuan Artese King; sister, Carol Edgar-Lang; goddaughters Monique Belle and Ricketa Matthews Jones (Leonard); daughter-in-love Quiona Sullivan; son-in-love Marcel Walker; sister-in-law Delores Lewis; adopted sisters and lifelong friends Lynn Green, Barbara Stephenson Hill, and Sarah Fine; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family members, her church family and dear friends.