If Chosen As VP, Karen Bass Can Unite Our Party and Heal Our Nation

Yes, She Can: If chosen as VP, Karen Bass can unite our party and heal our nation.

The last time a community organizer with a history of building coalitions was on the Presidential ticket, it worked out well for America.

Our country was in crisis – facing what was then the worst economy since the Great Depression. Barack Obama and Joe Biden immediately went to work by passing the federal stimulus. They saved the Midwest from collapse by rescuing the auto industry – even as Republicans like Mitt Romney were saying “let Detroit die.”

Here in California, the Great Recession threatened the sixth-largest economy in the world, and it took strong political leadership to see us through. Karen Bass, newly elected Speaker of the California Assembly, had to work across the aisle with Republican leaders in the legislature and with then- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to enact a state budget facing the largest deficits in history.

It wasn’t easy – with a mixture of program cuts and tax increases bringing criticism from left and the right – and it took real leadership to get it done.

Program cuts were painful, but far preferable to elimination - and because she prioritized the future of the state above the future of her political career, the John F. Kennedy Foundation recognized Karen and three other legislative leaders with the 2010 Profile in Courage Award.

To those of us who know Karen Bass, she did then what good organizers always do when they work in service to others – they bring people together, find common ground by listening to the people, and then develop solutions which make the most sense. She’s been doing it her whole life, and it’s what we need now for America.

Our country is in crisis. The pressures of the pandemic, a cratering economy, and a moral moment on policing have brought us to a consequential point in our history. This coming election will have impacts felt around the world, and it’s why we need the strongest possible ticket for November.

I knew Karen Bass before she was a Member of Congress or Speaker here in California. I knew her as an organizer. She founded the Community Coalition for South Los Angeles back in 1990, and they have partnered with the Dolores Huerta Foundation for years.

Karen Bass is a builder – of multi-ethnic and multi-generational coalitions which stand the test of time. She’s brought together Blacks and Latinos and Asians and Whites; and the Coalition has had real impacts on healthcare, education, policing, and human rights in Los Angeles and beyond. The Community Coalition is as vibrant as ever – because Karen built something bigger than herself – she recruited and empowered young leaders who continue to work for justice.

Karen Bass is a leader – first in Los Angeles, then in Sacramento, and now in Washington. Our country is crying out for unity and for someone we can trust. Karen has been able to get results throughout her life by being a steady, patient leader – not an agitator – who cultivates mutual respect through honesty and strength.

Look at what she and the Congressional Black Caucus have done on the policing legislation in Congress – in 30 days, legislation passed with bipartisan support – even in the face of threats-via-tweet from Donald Trump. I am hopeful continued negotiations with the Senate can lead to the meaningful reforms our country so desperately needs.

Karen Bass also has first-hand experience on the front lines of emergency healthcare. She worked as a physician’s assistant at the busiest trauma center in America in East Los Angeles. She knows our front line workers need more support, and she will put science first as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic, which is devastating the health and economy of our country, and disproportionately impacting Black and Latino communities.

Karen Bass is a strong and caring leader who has proven she can manifest caring into action. In these chaotic times, Joe Biden needs a tested and proven partner who can help him unite the country and bridge the divides others have sought to deepen. I believe Karen Bass can bring people together for a purpose; and stir the people to action to help President Biden quickly achieve meaningful change with the least pain possible.

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” Karen Bass has love for others in abundance, the strength to lead in difficult times, and people believe in her because she believes in us. It’s why we need her on the Presidential ticket in November.

Dolores Huerta is an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, is a co- founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta is a 2012 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.