Councilman Dee Andrews has been a resident of central Long Beach, California, for the past 60 years. He is a proud graduate and former star athlete of Long Beach Polytechnic High School. While attending Poly he was:
- The first African-American Student body president at Poly high school
- Received All-American High School Football and Track Awards
Mr. Andrew’s other achievements are:
- Attended both the University of California Los Angeles and the California State University Long Beach. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Physical Education from California State University Long Beach
- Induction into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame, All American Junior College Football and Track Award, and he holds the World Record for 330 Intermediate Hurdles.
- All-American football player for the Dallas Cowboys,
- Taught Black History and Government at Long Beach Poly and Wilson High Schools.
- Inducted into the Long Beach Century Club as their newest member of the Hall of Fame.
- The American Red Cross also honored him as a Hometown Hero. This honor was to recognize him for leaping into action and helping to save an elderly woman from a burning building and chasing down a flasher who was assaulting children at a local restaurant.
- Bishop Leroy, author of I Know Why the Caged Lion Roar, has selected Dee and is featuring him in his upcoming book.
He is currently employed by the Long Beach Unified School District, as a Court Liaison assisting young people coming out of juvenile camp, and transitioning back into school.
Known as the “Son of the Sixth” by the residents, Mr. Andrews is a father of three adult children and six grandchildren. His vision for the central area is:
- To attract businesses into the 6th District. Work on finding employment opportunities for the unemployed residents. There are many with barriers to traditional employment due to past criminal record.
- Promote after-school programs for children, which would include tutoring and mentoring. Improve public safety and communication with residents. Create much needed infrastructure improvements for central Long Beach.