Karen Bass
Karen Ruth Bass is an American politician, social worker and former physician assistant who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022 and in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, serving as speaker during her final Assembly term.
Some of the key events about Karen Bass
- 1990Founded the Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization addressing social and economic issues in South Los Angeles
- 2004Elected to the California State Assembly, representing the 47th district
- 2008Became the first African American woman to serve as Speaker of any state legislature in the United States
- 2010Elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 33rd congressional district
- 2010Praised Fidel Castro upon his death, calling him "Comandante en Jefe" (Commander in Chief)
- 2011Appointed by President Obama to serve on the President's Commission on White House Fellowships
- 2012Faced criticism for her ties to the Church of Scientology
- 2015Voted against a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide
- 2016Endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, disappointing some progressive supporters
- 2018Introduced the "Family Unity Rights and Protection Act" to address family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border
- 2019Elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
- 2020Shortlisted as a potential vice presidential candidate for Joe Biden's presidential campaign
- 2020Faced scrutiny over past comments praising the Church of Scientology
- 2020Criticized for attending the opening of a Scientology church in 2010
- 2021Appointed to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
- 2021Faced backlash for initially defending Will Smith's actions at the Oscars
- 2022Elected as the first woman and second African American to serve as Mayor of Los Angeles
- 2022Criticized for slow response to Los Angeles City Council racism scandal
- 2022Faced criticism for ineffective handling of homelessness crisis as LA mayor
- 2023Declared state of emergency on homelessness, admitting previous efforts were insufficient
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.