USC Annenberg Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab celebrates its namesake Tuesday with a conversation with Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz: an author, social activist and daughter of civil rights icon Malcolm X.
The citywide holiday was declared when the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab founder and USC professor Allissa V. Richardson realized that the Charlotta Bass’s name wasn’t well known in Los Angeles. She contacted the City Council representative in USC’s district, Curren Price, to lobby for an official “Charlotta Bass Day.” After months of work, the city council officially declared Bass’s birthday, February 14, Charlotta Bass Day. While the official holiday is on Wednesday, USC Annenberg will celebrate it on February 13.
Charlotta Spears Bass was a prominent Black activist as well as the editor-publisher of the California Eagle newspaper. The Eagle was one of the first and longest-running Black publications in the region. Additionally, Bass was the first Black woman to be nominated for vice president of the United States.
“In the past, when there [was] very low diversity in newsrooms… oftentimes the telling of stories about Black people was incorrect or from a very biased point of view,” said Olivia Kelleher, a Bass Lab fellow.
“Bass’s legacy as a truth teller represents a level of depth that demonstrates the importance of telling underrepresented stories,” said Rafiq Taylor, a Charlotta Bass fellow. “Having Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz as our second visitor for The Second Draft Project adds even more beautiful complexity to our history.”
The mission of the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab is to highlight how Black creators on the West Coast have used media to shine light on social justice issues to and help these creators tell their stories through their own words. On Tuesday, Richardson will host a discussion with Shabazz about her family’s civil rights legacy. Shabbaz will also premiere her Interactive Interview, a tool that allows viewers to ask an AI version of Shabbaz questions about her life or her family’s life.
“A big effort within the Bass lab is to take it upon ourselves to preserve the testimony of Black media makers and civil rights activists, and allow them to tell their story in their own words,” Kelleher said.