Charlotta Bass and the Zoot Suit Riots: A Voice Emerges for Justice

Very few, if any, Americans have been able to simultaneously shine as journalists and leaders for justice at the level of Charlotta Bass. As the editor of the California Eagle, Charlotta Bass did more than use her platform to raise awareness. She strategically leveraged her paper to actively combat injustice. The Zoot Suit Riots are a quintessential example of Bass’s prowess as a civil rights leader armed with determination and a typewriter. 

In 1943, the cauldron of racial tension was passing the boiling point. The country had been embracing paranoia and hatred for years, thanks to both the war and irresponsible reporting in the media. Misperceptions about the underrepresented abounded. Unfortunately, they also fueled violence. As fear and racism stoked the country’s fire, pressure continued to build. Los Angeles turned into a battleground, where police and members of the public teamed up against young Mexican Americans.

Instead of marching in step with the status quo, Bass provided a different perspective, one that paved the way for both peace and healing.

Background: The California Eagle and Charlotta Bass

Charlotta Bass took over the California Eagle in 1912 after moving to Los Angeles shortly after the turn of the century. She led the newspaper, molding it into an unflinching source of truth, especially when it came to telling the stories of the Black community. 

Her advocacy often extended beyond racial boundaries as well. She promoted women’s suffrage and economic justice. She also revealed the injustices fueling restrictive housing covenants, which put undue strain on multiple, underrepresented demographics.

By the time the Zoot Suit Riots erupted, Bass was an experienced defender of truth and justice. Her expertise positioned her to play a leading role in guiding the region through the resulting turmoil.

What Led Up to the Zoot Suit Riots?

The Zoot Suit Riots were the culmination of a perfect storm swirling wartime tensions and systemic discrimination. Here are some factors fueling the fire:

• Nationalistic fervor as a result of WWII. The war, which began with a foreign assault on American soil, stirred up nationalistic feelings, which encompassed a mix of pride, anger, and fear. Apparent “outsiders” were frequently the target of discrimination.
• Racial tensions in the L.A. area. Los Angeles was seeing an influx of African-American and Mexican-American soldiers and regular citizens. This resulted in competition for both housing and work, which built resentment from some white residents.
• Sensationalist reporting in the media. The media had started portraying those wearing zoot suits as unpatriotic and rabble-rousing rebels. This fueled resentment amongst many in the area against those who wore the baggy, high-waisted suits.

This resulted in a toxic witches’ brew that poisoned the minds of many Los Angelenos. When tensions reached their boiling point, violence oozed across the city. Mobs of white people attacked Mexican Americans wearing zoot suits, as well as some Filipino and African-American citizens.

How Charlotta Bass Shifted the Narrative

In the face of outright untrue and embellished journalism, Charlotta Bass actively sought to adjust the narrative.

First, Bass used the Eagle to highlight the similarities between the lives of Black and Mexican young people. They were facing many of the same financial and discriminatory pressures. In this way, Bass unified – instead of divided – Black and Mexican communities. She also inspired empathy for young Mexican Americans.

This was important because it set the stage for Mexicans – and other Hispanic groups – to join forces with African Americans in the Civil Rights movement. Instead of letting them war against each other, Bass fostered an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual support.

Highlighting the Need for Intersectional Advocacy

Intersectional advocacy revolves around the principle of the intertwinement of issues facing multiple groups. For instance, the challenges facing Black Americans, Mexican Americans, individuals with physical disabilities, and women share similar roots. Therefore, progress can be accelerated if advocates recognize these points of commonality and then combine their efforts to strategize solutions.

Charlotta Bass sparked a wave of intersectional advocacy with the way she used the Eagle to address the Zoot Suit Riots. By encouraging solidarity, she created an atmosphere of cooperation, one that transcended the Riots and continued to fuel future civil rights initiatives. 

Her decisions were important, primarily because she advocated for unification instead of only rallying Black Americans to fight for their specific rights. The legacy of her intersectional spark can be felt today as well. Millions of racial minorities, those with gender and sexual preference differences, the financially disadvantaged, and more get support and solutions from the same advocacy groups. While Charlotta Bass may not have invented the concept of intersectional advocacy, she certainly imbued it with essential energy in the wake of the Zoot Suit Riots.

Giving Marginalized Citizens a Voice

As other papers demonized Mexican-American youth, Charlotta Bass used the Eagle to make their plight and power relatable. She highlighted their struggle in ways that other media outlets failed to do so.

For instance, she drew attention to discriminatory practices that impacted not just Black citizens but also Mexican Americans. Educational inequality, for example, was rampant in the area. Many children of color were suffering from systemic neglect by the educational system, and Bass made sure people knew. 

As another example, Bass advocated for Mexican Americans in the aftermath of the Sleepy Lagoon murder. Other media outlets had said it was a gang-related attack, stoking the flames of racial tension. This was one of the more specific triggers of the Zoot Suit Riots. On the other hand, Charlotta Bass focused on the injustices being dealt to the plaintiffs and their racist underpinnings. 

Continuing Charlotta Bass’s Legacy of Advocacy

The Bass Lab has built a culture around the principles of justice championed by Charlotta Bass. Independent journalism that focuses on truth instead of biased, misleading perspectives plays an integral role in protecting the freedoms Americans hold dear. By honing in on untold or marginalized truths and through initiatives like the Second Draft Project, the Bass Lab continues to let Charlotta’s spirit power its work.

If you’d like to donate to support the Bass Lab’s work, you can do so here.