Guy R. Brewer (1904-1978) was a pioneer in the Civil Rights movement and the first Black person elected to the New York State Assembly. After graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Brewer moved to Harlem in the 1920s, starting a real estate business and becoming involved in local Democratic politics. In 1941, he and his wife Marie Brown bought a home in South Jamaica and moved their real estate business there. He served as Secretary to the Borough President of Queens (1960-1962) and later as assistant Borough President. Brewer was elected to the state Assembly in 1968 and represented southeast Queens from 1969 to 1977, serving as the state’s first Black majority whip for several years.