Rodney "Blair" Stewart listened attentively during a recent city council meeting, jotting down notes as residents described their concerns — park modernization, traffic problems, city-sponsored events downtown.
Photographs of past mayors — all white men until 1982 — hung on the walls around Stewart, who last November was elected Brea's first Black council member.
Only 1.2% of the city's 47,500 residents are Black. Stewart fits right in with the Republican establishment, enjoys backing from influential insiders and is calling for strong relationships with small businesses and the Chamber of Commerce.
