John Daniel George (September 16,1928 - December 10,1988) was a groundbreaking attorney,civil and human rights leader,mental health services advocate,and the first African American elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in California. His work left a lasting imprint on social justice,public policy,racial equity,and healthcare in the Bay Area.
Early Life and Education
John D. George was born and raised in Atlanta,Georgia during the Jim Crow era—a period that deeply shaped his political consciousness and commitment to justice. George was the sixth of seven children who lived with their college-educated parents. George’s mother attended Howard University and worked as a social worker,and his father graduated from Tuskegee Institute. Deeply inspired by Booker T. Washington who was President of the college when George Sr. was a student,George’s father founded a small college in Valdosta,GA,worked as a university instructor,and later became an insurance agent.
Growing up in the segregated South with a family passionately engaged in their community,George witnessed firsthand the systemic inequalities that would later drive his legal and advocacy work. He and his siblings attended segregated public schools,were active members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church,and nurtured in an environment that valued education,faith,and resistance. In high school,George was a drum major for the marching band and he and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. were high school classmates at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta.
Higher Education and Law Career
George,a scholar and athlete,followed in the footsteps of his father and siblings who graduated from Tuskegee Institute (nee Tuskegee University.) However,after his freshman year at Tuskegee,George received a track and field scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley (Cal) and moved west during the Great Migration,part of the wave of African Americans seeking better opportunities and escaping racial violence in the South.
While at U.C. Berkeley,George medaled several times as a sprinter/relay and he competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic trials.[1]. George completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in History at U.C. Berkeley and a Juris Doctor at Hastings School of Law in San Francisco,(nee UC Law San Francisco.) During this time,he became increasingly involved in local politics and grassroots activism. After law school,George was an active member of the Charles Houston Bar Association and an attorney in private practice in Oakland/Berkeley. He was part of the law firm,Miller &George,alongside John J. Miller,a well-known Assemblyman in the region during the late 1960’s and 70’s. Following Hon. Miller’s untimely death,George shared a law office with Warren Widener and then partnered with a law group located on the Berkeley Marina.
Political Career
In 1968,George ran as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in California’s 7th Congressional District,which encompassed parts of Oakland and Berkeley. His campaign was rooted in civil and human rights advocacy and opposition to the Vietnam War,reflecting his commitment to social justice and community empowerment. Although he did not win the election,his candidacy was significant in highlighting the political aspirations of African Americans during that era.[2]
George’s campaign occurred in a period of heightened political activism in the Bay Area. Notably,the Black Panther Party—seeking to amplify Black political representation—nominated co-founder Huey P. Newton for the same congressional seat under the Peace and Freedom Party while Newton was incarcerated. This move underscored the diverse strategies within the Black community to achieve political influence and address systemic inequalities.
In 1970,George filed a lawsuit challenging Oakland’s at-large electoral system. The suit argued that electing council members city-wide “operates to minimize the voting strength of minorities as to disenfranchise them.” This action was part of a broader movement led by Black activists in Oakland during the late 60’s and early 70’s,who saw the at-large system as a barrier to meaningful representation. Their efforts ultimately led to the adoption of district-based elections,a change that reshaped the city’s political landscape.[3]
George’s dedication and legislative prowess laid the groundwork for his subsequent civic achievements,including his historic election in 1976 as the first African American to serve on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. He represented District 5. This diverse district includes the cities of Albany,Berkeley,Emeryville,Piedmont,and large portions of Oakland,namely West Oakland,North Oakland,Rockridge,and Montclair neighborhoods,as well as portions of the Dimond,Bella Vista,and San Antonio districts. George's election was a major milestone for Black political empowerment in the East Bay.[4]
While in office,George was a fierce advocate for human rights,labor,public health,and social services. He was especially known for his progressive stance on mental health policy,fighting for community-based care and patient dignity. He often spoke out against racial injustice in medicine,famously declaring,“My people were the first laboratory animals in America.”
Bay Area Free South Africa Movement
George served as Chairperson of the Bay Area Free South Africa Movement (BAFSAM),founded in 1985. He helped coordinate labor actions,public protests,and divestment campaigns targeting apartheid policies. Under his leadership,BAFSAM mobilized workers,students,and activists across the Bay Area. The movement collaborated closely with ILWU Local 10,including labor leaders like Leo Robinson,and staged major protests at locations like San Francisco’s Pier 80.[5]
Rainbow Coalition
In the 1980’s,George joined the national board of the Rainbow Coalition,a multiracial political alliance founded by Reverend Jesse Jackson. The Coalition sought to unite African Americans,Latinos,Asian Americans,Native Americans and progressive white communities around shared goals of economic justice,civil rights,and peace. In the Bay Area,George’s involvement strengthened local ties between progressive groups in Oakland and Berkeley.
Family
George married in 1958. He and his wife,Arabella-- also from Atlanta and a scientist and educator--raised three children in Oakland.
Legacy
George ran his race to the finish line. After his death in 1988,George’s legacy continued to resonate. In 1992,the John George Psychiatric Hospital located in San Leandro,California,was named in his honor.[6] The hospital serves adults facing severe mental health crises,reflecting George’s lifelong commitment to underserved and disenfranchised populations.
Additionally,the John George Democratic Club [7] was founded in 1989 to carry forward his vision of equity,justice,and community-based leadership. The Club continues to endorse candidates and policies aligned with George’s values.
Conclusion
From his beginnings in Atlanta,Georgia,to his transformative work in Oakland,California,John D. George embodied the intersection of grassroots activism and public leadership. His life’s work not only advanced racial and economic justice in Alameda County,but also paved the way for future generations of Black elected officials and community advocates.
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