Rufus Browning | 86

A trained political scientist, Rufus moved to the Bay Area in 1971. In 1973 he joined the faculty at San Francisco State University, where he would teach and conduct research for thirty years. While there, he directed the Public Research Institute and, with others, designed research on racial politics in California cities and authored a book called “Protest Is Not Enough: The Struggle of Blacks and Hispanics for Equality in Urban Politics” (University of California Press, 1984, 1985). He continues learning as a member of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. He is warm, caring, and has some basic tenets: “I keep moving. And I try not to eat crap. Well, a little crap. That's part of happiness, to take that kind of risk.” A wonderful additional fact: he’s married to one of our other “80”, Judy Goddess.

Interview date: 1/8/21

Interviewed by: Anna Chodos

Referred by: Judy Goddess

Edited by True Medusa Pictures. Music by Soundology.