Gwen Brown
Neighborhood: Govans
“As I began to do this work, I thought, wow, everyday people can really make a change and then this gives people a voice. So through every organizing effort I always wanted to try to make sure that everyday people stood out front and they got a chance. And that’s why I continue to do this work.”
Gwen Brown is a wife, mother of three grown children, and a grandmother of three. She has served for 4 years as a program coordinator in one of the first Child First After School programs at the school formerly known as John E. Howard Elementary School. Additionally, she has organized with BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development) and the Solidarity Sponsoring Committee and low wage workers throughout Baltimore City to establish legislation to create the first Living Wage in the Country.
During and following the Baltimore unrest, she worked to establish deep relationships with residents residing within the boundaries of the Eastern and Western Police Districts. Gwen has also organized with persons in the Latino, African, Caribbean, and Middle-Eastern Communities to secure the rights needed for the immigrant populations and to secure a voice with the BPD, the monitoring team for the consent decree, and the corporate community of Baltimore City. She has also led multiple voting efforts in under-resourced communities.
Gwen is currently employed with Behavioral Health System Baltimore (BHSB) to create pioneering methods to address persons with mental health and substance abuse disorders and to reduce stigma.
