In 2013, 31yearold Aja Brown made history as Compton’s youngest mayor. It was the culmination of a long journey for Brown—her grandmother had been murdered in the California city, and her family moved to another town after the tragedy. She is Compton’s first female mayor in 40 years. “What shocked me the most was everyone else’s reaction,” she says in this short film. “The first thing off the top of their minds was ‘Are you old enough, are you tough enough?’ They were just surprised that I would have the audacity to run for mayor.” Brown has now spent three years as mayor, and she is resolute in her leadership style and her plans to grow the city’s programs.

This is the second episode of The Atlantic’s video series “Women and Leadership,” which explores insights and advice from five women in politics, entertainment, and tech. It was directed by Lucy Wells.

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