Mississippi House Rep. William “Bo” Brown, a Democrat from Jackson who previously served on the Jackson City Council and worked as a Jackson Public School teacher, died on Monday at age 81 after a lengthy illness.
“We are saddened to share yet another loss in the Mississippi House of Representatives with the passing of State Representative Bo Brown,” Mississippi House Speaker Jason White said in a Monday social-media post. “Bo served in the House for seven years and represented his constituents of Hinds County well. A valuable member on House Corrections, Judiciary B, Medicaid, Tourism, and Transportation Committees, Bo conducted himself with professionalism, respect, and kindness.”
Mississippi House Rep. Price Wallace, a Republican from Mendenhall, died last week.
At the beginning of his career, Brown spent a few years working as a public-school teacher and coach in the Jackson Public Schools system before moving into a public-relations job with the U.S. Department of Justice. He then served as a program manager for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1972 to 1983. He also hosted radio talk shows and sold insurance for decades.
Brown—who earned his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee State University, his master’s degree from Jackson State University and a postgraduate certification from Santa Clara University in California—began representing northeast Jackson in Mississippi House District 70 in 2020 after previously serving on the Jackson City Council from 1997 to 2005.
Mississippi House Minority Leader Rep. Robert Johnson grieved “this tremendous loss” in a social-media letter published Monday on behalf of the Mississippi House Democratic Caucus.
“Those of us who had the privilege of serving alongside Bo knew him as more than a legislator,” Johnson said. “He was a colleague, a friend, and a person of character whose kindness and commitment to public service earned the respect of members on both sides of the aisle.”
To counter rising concerns over the city’s infrastructure, Brown wanted local officials and Environmental Protection Agency leadership to rebuild public trust in the city’s water system.
“Is there anything on tap about trying to instill more confidence and more hope in our citizens so they can go back to drinking our water?” he asked at an Oct. 17, 2022, roundtable discussion with then-EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, then-Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and a number of city stakeholders at Jackson State University.
Regan responded that, while “actions speak louder than words,” community engagement would be vital to rebuilding confidence in the water system even after the material problems are solved.
Brown advocated for fully funding Mississippi’s public schools and addressing the teacher shortage by raising salaries and increasing benefits. He vehemently opposed a 2025 law that prohibits Mississippi public schools, state-accredited nonpublic schools, and state-supported institutions of higher learning from creating, teaching or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion programs. A federal judge blocked the law from going into effect in 2025. The case is still pending in court.
During a contentious House floor debate, Brown asked the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joey Hood, R-Ackerman, if the bill was following President Donald Trump’s priorities to abolish DEI across the government and public schools.
“This is just an issue that we are moving forward,” Hood told Brown on Feb. 5, 2025. “That could be your opinion, but I don’t think it has any respect right now. I think there’s a lot of members of this body that want to see this passed. I think their constituents have reached out to them, and I’m sure your constituents have reached out to you.”
‘My Colleague, My Desk Mate, My Friend’
When the Mississippi Legislature drew new congressional district maps in 2022, Brown successfully fought for the majority-Black city of Jackson to fall entirely in the 2nd Congressional District, which U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Black Democrat from Bolton, has represented since 1993.
“I am saddened to learn about the passing of Representative Bo Brown,” Thompson posted to Facebook on Monday. “Bo devoted his life to serving others as an educator, community leader, and public servant. His commitment to the people of Jackson and the State of Mississippi made a lasting difference in the lives of so many.”
Brown filed unsuccessful bills during multiple legislative sessions, including 2026, that offered mental-health care for people after their release from prison. He advocated for extended, long-term care for people with mental illnesses who had previously been incarcerated.
“I’ve known some personal cases that former inmates have been released from the custody of the corrections department, and they act normal for (a) few weeks, a few months, or even a year, then they have a psychological relapse. They go and destroy things, they threatened people and sometimes hurt people because once they’re in the community, they’re limited … in terms of the follow-up psychological care,” he said in February 2021.
He cosponsored unsuccessful legislation in 2024 to require the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to create a public, searchable database of police officer misconduct and update it monthly.
Rep. Zakiya Summers, who shared a desk with Brown, celebrated his accomplishments in a Monday social-media post.
“My colleague, my desk mate, my friend. The one and only Bo Brown!! Take your rest, champ. You left it all on the field. Sending love and peace to the entire Brown family,” she wrote.
Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, mourned the loss of his colleague, whom he said he befriended at the “old Jackson YMCA 30 years ago.”
“I am grateful for his friendship and public service,” Blount said in a Monday social-media post.
Gov. Tate Reeves said he and his wife, Elee Reeves, were praying for Brown’s family “during this difficult time.”
“Rep. Brown was a dedicated public servant who cared deeply about Jackson and worked hard to improve the lives of those he represented,” Reeves wrote on Monday.
The Mississippi Democratic Party thanked Brown for his decades of public service in a Monday social-media post.
“Representative Bo Brown served with conviction, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to his district. His leadership, wisdom, and passion for public service left a lasting impact not only on his constituents but on colleagues and communities across our state,” Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Cheikh Taylor wrote.
Mississippi Free Press stories are always free because we believe everyone should have access to quality journalism. Donations from readers like you make that possible. Please click here to give to help sustain and grow vital, people-over-power journalism for Mississippians.
Readers can sign up for our free newsletters here.
