If you haven’t heard of Karen Bass, you will soon.
As noted by theNational Foster Youth Institute, Bass was elected to the California State Assembly in 2004.
Today, the California congresswoman serves as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“Everybody likes Karen Bass,” former California state controller Steve Westly toldCNN.
“People are scratching their heads saying, who is this woman?
I think she is stronger than people think.”
Karen Bass used to be a physician assistant
Bass has a lifelong interest in science.
As an adult, she became a community activist.
In 1990, she founded the nonprofit Community Coalition which was founded upon “no celebrity-style leadership.”
Bass was inspired by the civil rights movement, as she told theLos Angeles Times.
“I would sit and watch TV with him.
It seemed like the whole world was changing.
I couldn’t wait to grow up.”
If somebody attacks you, you’re taught how to take their energy and use it against them.
Remember those old Bruce Lee movies?
Training in martial arts helped prepare Bass for her political career.
Bass is reluctant to even be photographed.
Bass has learned to engage with the public more over the years, but it hasn’t been easy.
“They needed to see and hear me.”
For Bass, everything has always been about work she is doing.
“I’ve had a hard time adjusting my language to talk about me,” she said.
“We live in a celebrity culture, so I had to unwind some of that reluctance.”
