American Democratic politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1970 to 1998. After his time in Congress, he served as Mayor of Oakland, California.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956 and went on to attend Oakland City College, San Francisco State University, and finally the University of California-Berkeley, where he earned his Master's degree in social work.
He drafted anti-apartheid legislation in Congress in 1972. His sanctions of the South African government were passed fourteen years later as the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act.
He was married three times and had five children and three stepchildren.
He endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary race and was subsequently named chair of her Urban Policy Committee.