MEET BRANDON LAMAR

Pasadena is home to Brandon Lamar. He was raised in the Northwest Pasadena and proudly attended Edison Elementary, Elliot Middle School, and John Muir High School. Growing up, however, it was clear to him that the voices in his community aren’t always heard at City Hall. This realization made Brandon a community organizer, neighborhood advocate, and a dedicated coalition-builder. Now, he is running for Pasadena City Council to build a bridge between the residents of District 3 and City Hall.

At a young age, Brandon became involved with various community programs, including Pasadena Youth Ambassadors and the Pasadena Youth Council. In his early twenties, he became the Chair of the Youth and College Division and the 3rd Vice President of the Pasadena NAACP. Soon after, he was appointed by Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek to the Human Relations Commission where he currently serves as Chair. As the Chair, he has led efforts in making recommendations to the City Council on the prevention of hate crimes and encouraging our Council to correct our wrongdoings concerning the history of racial injustices within our city.

Brandon's career path then led him to a series of roles in the nonprofit and advocacy sectors, where he continued to work toward equity and justice for marginalized communities. He served as the Director of Programs for the LAPD Hollywood Police Activities League, where he led programs and advocacy efforts on issues related to poverty, education, mental health, and community engagement. He currently serves as the California Director for a National Non-Profit working to address racial disparities and other social injustices in our juvenile and child welfare systems.

In 2019, Brandon was asked to join the Executive Board of Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP!) – a grassroots organization that advocates and organizes for progressive policies in Pasadena. In this role, Brandon now serves as Chair and has worked to build coalitions between community groups, organizations, and politicians, in order to push for policies that benefit everyone – especially communities of color. Under Brandon's leadership, POP! has become a powerful force for change in Pasadena, helping to pass Measure H (Rent Control), organize for a Community Police Oversight Board, partnering with local climate change groups like Pasadena 100 (organizing for 100% clean energy by 2030), and pushing for policies such as a living wage, immigrant rights, and affordable housing.

Brandon is focused on educating and engaging young leaders to get involved locally civically and politically by forming the Pasadena Young Democrats.

Throughout his career, Brandon has remained committed to the principle that people power is the key to creating lasting social change. He has worked tirelessly to build bridges between communities, and to empower people to take action on the issues that affect their lives. Whether he is organizing a rally, building a coalition, or speaking truth to power, Brandon's passion and dedication have inspired countless people to join the fight for a more just and equitable society.

Brandon has a long and distinguished history serving our community, including as an active participant on the following boards and groups:

Vice Chair, Pasadena Rental Housing Board
Member, Steering Committee for Measure H
Founder, Merge Black Pasadena
Co-chair, Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP!)
Former Chair, City of Pasadena Human Relations Commission
Chair, NAACP Economic Development and Housing Committee
Board Member, Leadership Pasadena
Board Member, Young and Healthy
Member, Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for Measure PCC
Founder and President, Pasadena Young Democrats
Chair, Local Project Labor Agreement Coalition