Career

Britt was involved during the late 1960s in the civil rights movement when he was a Methodist minister in Chicago. He was first appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January 1979 by Mayor Dianne Feinstein, succeeding Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in City Hall along with Mayor George Moscone by former Supervisor Dan White. Britt was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November of 1979, 1980, 1984, and 1988.

Britt served as President of the Board of Supervisors from 1989 to 1990.

However, voters repealed the domestic partnership law by initiative. A modified version was reinstated by another voter initiative, 1990"s Proposition K, also written by Britt.

Britt chose not to run for reelection in 1992. Britt ran unsuccessfully for California"s 5th congressional district in 1987, narrowly losing to Nancy Pelosi in a special election to fill the seat left when Sala Burton died, with 36 percent of the vote to his 32 percent.

He also was unsuccessful in his race against Mark Leno for the California State Assembly in 2002.

Britt directed the Weekend Bachelor Degree Completion Program at New College of California, which closed in January 2008 due to financial problems.