Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass greets Charlotta Bass’s family at City Hall
By Rafiq Taylor
Los Angeles has a new holiday.
It was sunny, and a little chilly on the day after Valentine’s Day, and there was important work to do. The day before, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony declaring February 14th as Charlotta Bass Day in the city of Los Angeles. Now, it was time to make it official.
Pictured from left-to-right: Donna Wosencroft, Rafiq Taylor, Paul Robinson, Myah Genung, Dr. Allissa Richardson, Mikki Wosencroft, Morgan Fykes, Jacqueline Nkhonjera, and Britney Pollard
At the invitation of Council Member Curren Price, we entered Los Angeles City Hall. Marveling at the intricate architecture, we made our way to the core of the first floor, where the business of the public is conducted. I could tell from the energy of the attendees and the caffeinated whispering of the clerks and the council members that there were going to be some lively displays that had nothing to do with what we were there for. Words were spoken out of turn. Things were getting loud. Little did we know, the Council was set to discuss the issue of homelessness that day.
Yet, our presentation cut through the confrontation. Price proceeded to the podium, proudly grasping the proclamation with the support of Council Member Heather Hutt. We were there with four generations of relatives connected to Charlotta Bass, and the power of her story commanded the room. Charlotta Bass was the first Black woman to operate a newspaper in the US, the first to be nominated for Vice President, and now many were hearing about her for the first time.
After the presentation, we took many photos, and then we were invited to have refreshments in a conference room. This is when a pleasantly surprising chain of events started. Our first excited visitor was City Council President Paul Krekorian. Soon after him came Councilmember Nithya Raman and Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Their adoration meant a great deal, and when our founding director, Allissa Richardson, asked for an opportunity for Charlotta Bass’s oldest living relative — Ms. Muriel Tinsley — to meet Mayor Karen Bass (no relation), the Council members happily obliged.
Ms. Muriel Tinsley, stands on the observation deck of Los Angeles City Hall. Tinsley, who is 100 years young, is Charlotta Bass’s oldest living relative. She was elated to meet Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor during the formal proclamation of Bass Day.
When Mayor Bass met Ms. Tinsley, it was a proud and joyful moment, as Bass is the first Black woman mayor of Los Angeles. Tinsley, who is 100 years young, exclaimed to Mayor Bass, “I’ve seen you on TV, young lady! I am so proud of you!” As it was happening, I was reflecting on how cool it was that we summoned the Mayor. When I think about history-making moments, I often like to think about what the energy was like in the room. That day, I got to witness that energy in action. I’ll forever be impressed and motivated by the response and the excitement that the work of the Bass Lab produced on the day we went to City Hall.
The day didn’t even end there. After that, Councilmember Heather Hutt was kind enough to organize a tour of Los Angeles City Hall’s observation deck. As we ascended a series of elevators, we witnessed grand, open spaces reserved for exclusive events. We got to see the entirety of Los Angeles. We were on top of the world, and that cliché couldn’t have felt more literal.
Rafiq Taylor is a public relations and advertising master’s student at USC’s Annenberg School. He is an inaugural Charlotta Bass Fellow and an avid podcaster.
