Charlotta Bass (circa 1880-1969)
Charlotta Spears Bass (circa 1880-1969) was the first Black woman to run for vice president of the United States and one of the first Black women to operate a newspaper in the country. Bass moved to Los Angeles from the east coast in the early twentieth century and began working for a local Black newspaper called The Eagle. In 1912 she purchased the newspaper, renamed it The California Eagle, and built it into the West Coast’s biggest Black newspaper with a circulation of 60,000. Bass’ progressive politics eventually attracted the attention of investigators from both the FBI and the State Legislature’s California Un-American Activities Committee (CUAC). Investigators from CUAC filed a report about a rally held by the Independent Progressive Party in Culver City on August 27, 1952. It states that “…Mrs. Bass…received a standing ovation from the audience…she condemned both parties, Republican and Democratic stating that the Negro people had waited long enough for equal rights; politically, economically and socially…she stated that it is amazing to find out that the Negro people in Los Angeles do not have the right to live where they please. The Negro people live in shacks, lacking the proper everyday facilities and not having the proper medical care, thereby having a higher mortality rate than the Whites. Mrs. Bass stated that she had received an anonymous telephone call, warning her not to attend this IPP Rally or an attempt would be made on her life. She said that this party claimed to be affiliated with the FBI. She said that she was not afraid of anybody, including the FBI and would speak her convictions…” Bass ran on the Independent Progressive Party ticket as running mate to Vincent Hallinan in that year’s Presidential election. Hallinan and Bass won more than 24,000 votes in California and 140,000 votes nationwide.
