Neighborhood gathers to recollect political, civil rights activist Al Brooks | Information
Many residents of eastern Prince William County knew Al Brooks personally; but even if they didn’t, he was probably a familiar face. Brooks was known as the tall, older African American gentleman who volunteered to the Woodbridge DMV, often in a three-piece suit, to politely ask people if they were registered to vote.
When early voting began before each election, Brooks was a daily part of the DMV. He spent hours there every weekday, again mostly in a three-piece suit or a crisp dress shirt and tie, encouraging people to vote and cast their vote for the local Democrats.
But those who knew Brooks best said that while volunteering was a passion, it was only a small part of his lifelong mission to create more opportunities for people of color. The most important of his goals over the years has been to transform the political landscape of Prince William County. As the county’s black and brown residents grew – making Prince William the largest minority-majority county in Northern Virginia – Brooks was determined to get more blacks to vote at both the local and state levels, his longtime friends and associates said Levels.
But he also insisted that candidates be sincere and sincere in their intention to serve the community – and that they do their homework.
“To be seated at the table, you have to have someone who looks like you,” said Tammi Lambert, a longtime friend of Brooks who worked with him at the local African American Democratic Club. “He really believed in representation. He said, ‘You can’t complain if you don’t have a seat at the table, but you have to be informed.’ ”
Brooks died on March 25, aged 77, after suffering multiple health problems. He will be commemorated at a memorial service today, July 17, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Woodbridge.
The gathering will include speeches and reminders from a long list of elected officials, many of whom helped Brooks elect, said Emmitt Fletcher, a memorial organizer, who said he has known Brooks since they arrived in Dale City in the 1970s.
Al Brooks and his wife Barbara at dinner in Dumfries in 2019.
Because of COVID-19, Brooks’ family could only have one small service for him in April. Brooks leaves behind his wife, Barbara; three adult children, daughter Alise and sons Albert Jr. and Anton; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The larger memorial service is intended for the wider community to formally recognize Brooks’ contributions, Fletcher said.
“We lost a huge community leader, a person who was very compassionate and cared for other people,” he said.
From North Carolina to New York to Woodbridge
Brooks was born in Tabor City, North Carolina in 1943. He grew up mainly in Buffalo, New York, and served in the army. After his honorable discharge, Brooks worked in multiple positions and, according to his obituary, earned a bachelor’s degree in social affairs, history and law from the University of New York at Buffalo.
Upon graduation, Brooks was the Executive Director of the Buffalo Affirmative Action Plan. His struggle for civil rights eventually led him south to Maryland, where he continued his work in the US Department of Transportation as political appointee to then New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller.
In 1977 Brooks and his family moved to Woodbridge while Brooks continued to work for the Secretary of Transportation as a civil rights specialist and external complaints coordinator.
He then moved to the US Department of Labor, where he worked as a specialist in equal opportunities and civil rights activists. While at the Department of Labor, Brooks served on loan as an Executive Director for RTP, a program under the A. Philip Randolph Institute Education Fund. The A. Philip Randolph Institute is a black civil rights organization founded by Brooks mentor A. Philip Randolph. The program that Brooks oversaw was aimed at training African-American men historically denied employment in the craft industry and continuing the desegregation in the unions, according to Brooks’ biography compiled for the memorial ceremony.
Brooks was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Color People, the National Urban League, Prince William County Democratic Committee, the Jaycees, and the Dale City Sports Club.
‘Who is advertising in a suit?’
In his later years, Brooks was known for his preppy dress and dedication to reaching out to voters and improving the prospects of local color candidates.
Woodbridge District School Board Representative Loree Williams (D) said she first met Brooks shortly after she first made her decision to run for the school board in 2013. Brooks asked her if he could help her vote – or meet voters door-to-door – before the election.
“He shows up – and it has to be noted – he shows up in his traditional five button down vest and his dress shirt and his dress shoes, and I think who is advertising like that? I guess what’s wrong with this guy? Williams said with a laugh.
Williams said she quickly understood, however, that Brooks was serious about reaching out to voters and went out of his way to behave with respect and dignity.
The experience, she said, taught her an important lesson about reaching voters. She had brought a “whale list” with targeted addresses based on voter turnout. Brooks told her to put the list down because they would knock on every door – not just a few. It is important, he told her, because every voter is important and routing lists are often unreliable in areas like Woodbridge.
“It was in that time and space, when I went for a walk with him for the first time, that I realized that this was important. That every person counts. … That every house in my district is important because it’s such a transitory area, “Williams said. “It was important for me to teach myself who lives in my district and why that is important.”
From then on, she developed a friendship with Brooks, Williams said, and loved hearing his stories about his work with civil rights pioneers, the time he spent singing in the temptations, and his political struggles and victories over the years. Williams said Brooks referred to her as his “second daughter”.
“It was just a joy and a pleasure to meet him and hear his stories,” she said. “It made a lasting impression on what it means to behave a certain way… how to be kind and tell your truth. There are many things that he has shown me and my children through his commitment to his cause. “
Rivera Williams, a former Marine who lived in Prince William County from 2001 to 2017, said Brooks was “a father figure” to him. Williams said he met Brooks through the African American Democratic Club, which Brooks founded with former Dumfries Vice Mayor Willie Toney. The club’s goal – and, indeed, Brooks’ political mission in Prince William County – was to help people of color understand both the importance of local government and that people of color hold elected office. When the club began its work, there were only two elected officials in the county. Now most of the elected bodies of the district are either majority-minority or divided equally between white residents and colored people.
Brooks’ goal, said Rivera Williams, was “fair representation across the board”.
“So I think his mission statement has come true,” he added.
Some people think Brooks was recruiting people of color to run for office, but Rivera Williams (unrelated to Loree Williams) said that’s not true. Instead, he said Brooks met with candidates and, when he felt they were sincere, used his organizational skills to help them learn more about the political process and get elected.
But Brooks’ goal, Rivera Williams said, was not just to get more people of color, but to choose people who would work to make the county better for all.
Education, in particular, is a big issue for Brooks, he said, adding, “Al knew that if you trained people right, you would create opportunities that you couldn’t miss.”
More memories of Al Brooks were shared in a memorial video recently posted on What’s Up Prince William, which can be viewed here:
Al Brooks is a name that became famous in Prince William County.
Over the years he served as a civil rights activist and supported many who were running for office.
Elected officials and parishioners remembered him in a memorial video produced by What’s Up Prince William.
The African American Democratic Club – PWC and the Brooks Family are holding the Albert E. Brooks Sr. Memorial Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 13020 Telegraph Road, Woodbridge. It starts on Saturday at 3 p.m.
If you want to participate, you should register on eventbrite.
You can read the full article here: https://whatsupwoodbridge.com/community-member-al-brooks-remembered/
What’s Up Prince William (WUPW.news) – http://wupw.news/ – provides free coverage and event promotion for nonprofits. It also highlights individuals and organizations doing good in the community.
HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire – https://hometowneautorepairandtireofwoodbridge.com/ – in Woodbridge, Virginia is helping with the financing.
To subscribe to the What’s Up Prince William YouTube channel, click this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXt8SJJseYrZxhRgdsybOlg
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