To celebrate the historic win of Bass as not only the first woman but also only the second African-American to be elected mayor of LA following the legendary Tom Bradley, radio host Tavis Smiley, SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. and KBLA Talk 1580 are hosting an “ole skool” homecoming for the former Democratic congresswoman on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Leimert Park, near the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Vernon Avenue.
Free and open to the public, the KBLA delegation wanted to be the first to welcome Bass back to her LA roots where her political career began. Bass grew up in the Venice/Fairfax area of LA and represented the area in Congress.
“What Mayor-elect Karen Bass accomplished against a $100 million dollar plus frontal assault from her billionaire challenger is nothing less than phenomenal. Victories don’t come easy for our community and when they do, we need to celebrate them, even as we hold all leaders accountable to advancing an agenda in the best interests of Black folk,” said Smiley.
Festivities will kick off with the beats of the Crenshaw High School Marching Band; plus, a lineup of entertainment, including multiple Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Brian McKnight, R&B soul singer Goapele, and Grammy-winning R&B group Club Nouveau.
Many dignitaries, community leaders, celebrities and media personalities will be in attendance offering well wishes to Bass the day before she’s sworn in as the 43rd mayor of the city by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Attendees of the homecoming can expect a celebration of cultural significance, featuring live music, food, art, plus rows of vendors, spotlighting products from talented entrepreneurs.
Bass, a six-term congresswoman representing the 37th Congressional District, received the most votes of any mayoral candidate in Los Angeles’ history. While in Congress, she served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, where she was active in working to craft sound criminal justice reform policies.
Bass also introduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — the most transformative piece of policing legislation to ever pass in a chamber of Congress. Also, in 2019 and 2020, she was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Prior to her election to Congress, Bass served in the California State Assembly, where in 2008, she made history by becoming the first-ever African-American woman in U.S. history to serve as Speaker of any state legislature.
Smiley, radio host and owner of KBLA Talk 1580, launched Los Angeles’ first and only “Unapologetically Progressive” talk radio station for the African-American listening audience just over a year ago on Juneteenth 2021.
For more information, visit KBLA1580.com.
