Karen Bass Height, Weight, Religion, Net Worth, Age, Biography

About (Profile/Biography): 
Karen Ruth Bass is a groundbreaking American politician who made history as Los Angeles' first female mayor in 2022. Before leading LA, she served as a U.S. Representative and was the first African American woman to lead a state legislative body as California Assembly Speaker. Starting her journey as a community health worker and physician assistant in Los Angeles, Bass has dedicated her life to public service and social justice. Her work in healthcare, child welfare reform, and coalition building has earned her recognition both nationally and internationally.
Karen Bass’s Early Life & Education:
• Young Karen grew up in the Venice/Fairfax area of Los Angeles, witnessing the civil rights movement that shaped her future path.
• She earned her Bachelor's degree in health sciences from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1990.
• The future mayor worked as a physician assistant and clinical instructor at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
• Bass completed her Master's in Social Work from USC in 2015 while serving in Congress.
Career Highlights of Karen Bass
• The activist founded the Community Coalition in 1990, addressing South LA's crack cocaine epidemic.
• Bass made history as the first African American woman elected as California Assembly Speaker in 2008.
• The representative served six terms in Congress, representing California's 37th district from 2011 to 2022.
• She chaired the Congressional Black Caucus from 2019 to 2021, leading during crucial social justice movements.
• The politician became Los Angeles' first female mayor in December 2022.
Notable Controversy around Karen Bass
• In 2020, Bass faced criticism for her 2016 statement praising Fidel Castro after his death, calling him "Comandante en Jefe" (Commander in Chief).
• Her past involvement with the Venceremos Brigade, which worked with Cuba in the 1970s, drew scrutiny during her consideration as Biden's potential VP pick.
Awards & Recognition received by Karen Bass’s
• Received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award (2010) for her leadership in California's budget crisis.
• Earned the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award (2004) for her community activism.
• Named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people (2021).
• Awarded the Sierra Club's Environmental Champion Award (2019) for environmental justice work.
• Received the National Newspaper Publishers Association Leadership Award (2020).
Legacy & Impact of Karen Bass’s
• The trailblazer inspired a generation of women in politics through her historic achievements.
• She established vital programs for foster youth in California, reforming the child welfare system.
• Bass created lasting coalitions between Black and Latino communities in Los Angeles.
• Her community health work became a model for addressing urban health crises.
• The mayor continues to advocate for affordable housing and homelessness solutions in LA.
Lesser-Known Facts about Karen Bass
• Young Bass started her activism journey by volunteering for Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign at just 14 years old.
• The future mayor worked as a waitress at the Magic Castle in Hollywood during her teenage years.
• Bass learned to speak fluent Spanish while working in emergency rooms as a physician assistant.
• The activist hosted a radio show called "The African Perspective" on KPFK in the 1980s.
• She has maintained a vegetable garden since the 1980s and is known for sharing her homegrown produce.
• Bass turned down a full scholarship to Yale University in her youth, choosing to stay in Los Angeles to continue her community work.
• She was one of the first politicians to use social media for community organizing in California.
• She learned automobile mechanics in her youth and could repair her own car during her early activism days.