Los Angeles’s first woman mayor-elect chose the Ebell of Los Angeles as the site of her first post-election public event today, because of the Ebell’s long history as a women’s organization.
“It is my pleasure and honor to welcome you to our woman-centered and woman-led nonprofit,” said Dr. Stacy Brightman, Executive Director of The Ebell, while introducing Bass this morning. “The Ebell was founded in 1894 by a small group of bold women who did not have the right to vote and were denied most avenues of education or careers. They believed that by banding together and creating their own opportunities to learn, to create, to advocate and to lead, women could, and would, make a better future for their sisters, their mothers, their daughters and their nieces and oh yes, their husbands, brothers and sons too.”
“It is a place where “herstory” is created and celebrated for almost 100 years,” said Brightman. “Surely the spirits of the thousands of determined women who gathered, studied and worked here are celebrating today. Because, today a dream came true. For the first time Los Angeles has elected a woman Mayor. She is a beacon to all Angelenos. It is my jubilant honor to welcome the next Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.”
Then Bass took the podium to cheers from the surrounding crowd of longtime supporters.
“Since 1894, The Ebell of Los Angeles has been dedicated to uplifting the women of the city and so it is with a special feeling in my heart and with the thoughts of my mother and my daughters and all the women in this city that I stand before you in this place as the next Mayor of Los Angeles,” she said.
Taking on the challenging mayoral mantle with a confident, optimistic tone, Bass thanked her long-time supporters. And invoking the Ebell’s motto – “I will find a way or make one” – Bass also referred to her late colleague, Congressman John Lewis, whom she said she often spoke of on the campaign trail.
“John Lewis always used to say, when you are faced with a difficult situation, it was your responsibility “to make a way out of no way” and that’s the spirit that drove me to run for mayor and it’s the spirit through which I will govern.”
“My pledge to you is that we will hit the ground running on day one,” she said.
Throughout her remarks, Bass promised to continue the kind of teamwork and cooperation that sparked her victory. And she included in her necessary collaborators residents of the city, national figures such as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (both of whom she said have already called to congratulate her and offer their support), and even her competitor in the recent election, developer Rick Caruso, whom she said truly cares about the city and has already stated his intention to remain involved.
She also promised to be as inclusive as possible in these efforts. “It’s important that I have an administration that reflects Los Angeles,” she said, particularly promising to include members of the Latino community.
Bass will officially begin her new job in just a few weeks and, not surprisingly, she said her first and most important job, starting on that very first day, will be to address the city’s homeless crisis.
“I said all along that on Day One – and Day One is Dec. 12 – I will declare a state of emergency. We will identify very specific areas where we will get people housed and we will roll out a whole plan in order to do that.”
“We’re going to solve homelessness,” she said, “We’re going to respond urgently to crime, and Los Angeles will no longer be unaffordable to working families. Good jobs and affordable housing are on their way.”
“Mark my words,” Bass said, “we will get big things done together,” but “everybody’s got to have skin in the game” and “the whole city has to say, “What is my part?” and “What is my role?”
And Bass promised strong leadership in this effort. “I will not accept the notion that this is the way it’s always been done, this is the way that LA must continue to do things. I will not accept corruption or cronyism,” she said. “And I will not accept the sleight of hand and shuffling of problems around. If you tell me that this is the way things have always been done and this means that we’re supposed to continue to do it this way, and we know it’s not working, then that’s just not going to happen, and that will not be acceptable. Because I will only accept solutions. That’s what my administration will deliver for LA.”
Bass did say that she is still getting used to the idea of being mayor. As for when she’s going to move into the neighborhood, Bass said she would soon be going to Getty House, the mayor’s residence in Windsor Square, to meet with outgoing mayor Eric Garcetti.
Making her first official appearance at a beloved neighborhood institution is a wonderful first step and we look forward to welcoming her to the neighborhood.
[Disclosure: both of the Buzz’s co-publishers, Patty Lombard and Elizabeth Fuller, are members of the Ebell of Los Angeles.]
