Bass Lab hosts citywide ribbon-cutting ceremony for its official launch
By Paul RobinsonIt’s official.
The Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 14, 2023, to celebrate the declaration of “Charlotta Bass Day” in the city of Los Angeles. The celebration also launched the Lab formally, with the blessing of Bass’s family.
Charlotta Bass was a journalist, a civil rights activist and the first African American woman to own and operate her own newspaper on the West Coast. She was also the first African American woman to be nominated for Vice President of the United States as a candidate for the Progressive Party. Both the city wide holiday and lab were established to commemorate the trailblazing journalistic and social justice work of the hidden figure.
To honor Bass’s legacy, four generations of Bass descendants attended the event. Muriel Tinsley — who at 100 years old is Bass’s oldest living descendant — was given the honor of cutting the ceremonial ribbon. Los Angeles City Councilman Curren D. Price delivered the formal declaration to a full audience at USC Annenberg.
After the declaration, the lab highlighted its mission of hosting public events that center Black media makers using their platforms to inspire and create change. The Bass Lab’s founding director, Dr. Allissa Richardson, led a conversation with Tara Duncan, the president of Disney’s Freeform and Onyx Collective. Duncan discussed her journey from working in production at companies such as AMC, Amazon Prime, and Netflix to now being one of the few Black women to hold a top executive position in Hollywood. A Q & A session followed the conversation in which Duncan gave advice to Annenberg students about navigating the media workplace, standing out to potential employers, and being prepared for both the expected and unexpected.
Duncan also discussed her work with the Oscar award-winning documentary Summer of Soul and the recent premiere of The 1619 Project docuseries from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Duncan explained that after years in the media industry she has learned to trust her instincts when deciding which projects to green light.
The Bass Lab hosted a reception after the ceremony to celebrate the inaugural day with all those who attended the event.
Paul Robinson is the Bass Lab’s marketing associate, and a top student in our public relations program at USC Annenberg.
