海角大神

When California Rep. Karen Bass was growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950s and 鈥�60s, her father didn鈥檛 talk about his earlier life experiences with Jim Crow Texas. It was too traumatic. But through his actions, the mail carrier taught her one way to counter that ugly injustice.

鈥淰oting was a must. That is a ritual that was absolutely a must,鈥� says Representative Bass, who now heads the Congressional Black Caucus. When she became a parent, she regularly took her daughter to the voting booth, and has pictures of the first time her daughter voted.

In an in-depth phone interview from her home district in Los Angeles last month, Ms. Bass shared her thoughts about the centennial of the women鈥檚 vote, how Democrats should use their power should they win the presidency, and where African Americans fit in this constellation.聽

It鈥檚 a universe in which she has become a star in her own right, rising above barriers to become the first Black female speaker of the California Assembly (and of any state legislature). She has been mentioned as a possible future speaker of the U.S. House.

In recent weeks, she has become one of the most-talked-about candidates under consideration as a running mate for Joe Biden. Ms. Bass referred all queries about the VP search to Mr. Biden鈥檚 campaign. But she answered a question about whether he needs to tap an African American woman, given the mass protests nationwide over racial justice.聽

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 right to say he needs to,鈥� she comments. 鈥淒o I want him to do that? Of course.鈥�

More broadly, she speaks to the importance of African American women holding top leadership positions in the United States.

鈥淲omen who do the work should be given the authority to lead, and I think that鈥檚 true across the board for all women,鈥� she says. Black women 鈥渉ave always done the work behind the scenes.鈥�

While Ms. Bass sees the 100th anniversary of the women鈥檚 vote as a 鈥渧ery important landmark, a historic day,鈥� she also believes there is a 鈥渨ays to go鈥� for women in politics. Rwanda has the highest representation of women in the world, notes Ms. Bass 鈥� more than 60% in its lower house of parliament. She also chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, global health, and human rights. In the United States, women make up only about a quarter of Congress, and they鈥檙e overwhelmingly Democrats such as herself.

Women 鈥渁re in no way, shape, or form at parity,鈥� she says. On the other hand, 鈥渙ur voting ability and our ability to make a difference in elections has certainly been recognized, which is why everybody courts the women鈥檚 vote.鈥�

Exhibit A: the 2018 midterm elections, which flipped the House to Democrats on a blue wave of women voters and candidates. Ms. Bass is particularly excited about the growing prominence of African American women in Congress and in state and local offices 鈥� particularly Black women mayors, who are being featured all over cable news.

鈥淚 felt it was my obligation鈥�

Ms. Bass got her start in politics at a young age. When she was 14, she signed her mother up to be a precinct captain for Robert Kennedy鈥檚 1968 presidential campaign, then did all the door-knocking herself. She attributes her motivation to her father 鈥� watching the news with him, trying to understand the civil rights movement, civil disobedience, and the brutal attacks on Black people.

鈥淢y father was very patient in explaining it to me,鈥� she remembers, though neither of her parents ever wanted her to become involved in politics. It was an age of political violence and assassination, and they feared she would get hurt. But 鈥淚 saw all those other people doing it. You know, when you鈥檙e young, you鈥檙e invincible. I felt it was my obligation.鈥�

She became a physician assistant and took her passion to the front lines, founding a nonprofit to fight crack cocaine and gang violence in Los Angeles. She was elected to the state Assembly in 2004, becoming speaker just in time for a budget crisis, when she had to work out painful cuts with her fellow lawmakers and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2010.

In looking toward the November elections, she believes Black people will 鈥渢urn out in big numbers.鈥� The last three and a half years under President Donald Trump have been a strong motivator for Black voters, she says, pointing especially to the 鈥渆xtremely disproportionate rate鈥� of COVID-19 deaths among people of color.

Still, she says, Democrats can鈥檛 be complacent about getting out the vote. She expresses deep concern about voter suppression, particularly in the South. In 2016, she says, many voters took it for granted that Hillary Clinton would win.

鈥淪he was running against somebody who was so extreme that nobody believed he would win,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen he announced his candidacy, I was happy because I thought, 鈥榃ell, for sure, we鈥檒l be fine.鈥� And what a mistake I made.鈥�

Power in relationships

Ms. Bass notes that the U.S. is still behind much of the world in that it has not had a female president.

A record-breaking six women ran for the presidency this primary season, including an African American, but all of them lost. The congresswoman says there鈥檚 no single reason, but adds: 鈥淚 do believe that women candidates are viewed harsher, picked over, and examined under a microscope in a different way.鈥�

She remembers the California press referring to her as a 鈥渕other bear鈥� when she was speaker because she spent so much time with members as they wrestled with a fiscal crisis. She saw the term as pejorative, because if she鈥檇 been a man, 鈥渢hey would have said I was collaborative and inclusive.鈥�
As someone who has spent 15 years in elected office, Ms. Bass describes political power as 鈥渁bsolutely critical for change to happen.鈥� The best way to build power, she says, is through relationships and helping others, rather than 鈥渨alking over other people.鈥�

The independent Cook Political Report recently suggested a Democratic 鈥渢sunami鈥� may be on the horizon in the fall. If Democrats get a trifecta this November 鈥� winning the House, the Senate, and the White House 鈥� how should they use their power?

鈥淭he number one thing we have to do is heal this nation鈥� 鈥� both physically, from COVID-19 and a president 鈥渋n denial鈥� about the disease, and in every other way. She hopes a President Biden will move quickly to 鈥渃lean up the wreckage鈥� in the various government agencies, and call back government workers who were 鈥渞un out by the Trump administration or couldn鈥檛 take it anymore.鈥�

She鈥檚 also looking for healing on the race front, and is encouraged by polls showing white and Black Americans for the first time holding similar views about police brutality. When it comes to issues affecting marginalized people, 鈥測ou have to have the outside pushing the inside.鈥�

It also helps to elect more women, she says. On that front, she鈥檚 again encouraged. The next generation is going to do 鈥渟o much better鈥� in part because many programs have been established to help them run for office.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 going to make a huge, huge difference.鈥�