Karen Bass was sworn in as Los Angeles’ 43rd mayor Sunday in a historic inauguration, becoming the first woman to lead the nation’s second-largest city.
Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator and a trailblazer herself as the first woman to serve as the nation’s second-in- command, administered the oath of office to Bass, who paid tribute to the many female leaders in attendance at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and said they would all make history together.
Bass said the people of Los Angeles have asked her to serve “at an inflection point in our history,” and pledged to tackle the city’s homelessness crisis on her first official day in office Monday by visiting the city’s Emergency Operations Center to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
The new mayor said the people of Los Angeles have asked her to serve at “an inflection point in our history” — citing the coronavirus pandemic, a rapidly changing economy with a rising cost of living, climate change and the homelessness crisis. She pledged to spend her first official day as mayor Monday by visiting the city’s Emergency Operations Center to declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
The inauguration was a festive affair that featured poems by Amanda Gorman and Sophie Szew, music from the gospel group Mary Mary and a surprise performance from Motown legend Stevie Wonder. Gov. Gavin Newsom and outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti were also in attendance. Newly elected City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and City Controller Kenneth Mejia were also sworn in at the ceremony, marking the first time in history that all three citywide offices are held by newcomers.