*LOS ANGELES – Mayor-elect Karen Bass broke the glass ceiling and left shards all over the City of Los Angeles! To celebrate the historic win of Bass as not only the first woman but also only the second African American to be elected mayor of LA following the legendary Tom Bradley, radio host Tavis Smiley, SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. and KBLA Talk 1580 are excited to announce an “ole skool” homecoming for the former Democratic congresswoman on Saturday, December 10, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Leimert Park.
Free and open to the public, the KBLA delegation wanted to be the first to welcome Bass back to her LA roots where her political career began. Bass grew up in the Venice/Fairfax area of LA and represented the area in Congress.
To get the community block party started, festivities will kick off with the beats of the Crenshaw High School Marching Band; plus, a lineup of entertainment, including multiple Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Brian McKnight, R&B soul singer Goapele, and Grammy-winning R&B group Club Nouveau. Plus, many dignitaries, community leaders, celebrities and media personalities will be in attendance offering well wishes to Bass the day before she’s sworn in as the 43rd mayor of the city by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Attendees of the homecoming can expect a celebration of cultural significance, featuring live music, food, and art, plus rows of vendors, spotlighting products from talented entrepreneurs.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: Tavis Smiley’s KBLA Marks First Year Anniv. As a Trustworthy and Credible Source of Information for Black Angelenos
Bass, a six-term congresswoman representing the 37th Congressional District, received the most votes of any mayoral candidate in Los Angeles’ history. While in Congress, she served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, where she was active in working to craft sound criminal justice reform policies. Bass also introduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act — the most transformative piece of policing legislation to ever pass in a chamber of Congress. Also, in 2019 and 2020, she was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Prior to her election to Congress, Bass served in the California State Assembly, where in 2008, she made history by becoming the first-ever African American woman in U.S. history to serve as Speaker of any state legislature.
“What Mayor-elect Karen Bass accomplished against a $100 million dollar plus frontal assault from her billionaire challenger is nothing less than phenomenal. Victories don’t come easy for our community and when they do, we need to celebrate them, even as we hold all leaders accountable to advancing an agenda in the best interests of Black folk,” said Smiley.
Smiley, radio host and owner of KBLA Talk 1580, launched Los Angeles’ first and only “Unapologetically Progressive” talk radio station for the African American listening audience just over a year ago on Juneteenth 2021. KBLA Talk 1580 serves an audience long ignored by talk radio in LA – namely, people of color and progressives. Interestingly, KBLA 1580 AM is a heritage station and the original home of the iconic Hip-Hop station KDAY.
An independent survey found that KBLA Talk 1580 is the “most trusted, credible and reliable source of information” for African Americans in Los Angeles. In a fiercely competitive radio market, the findings are a big win for Smiley.
EVITARUS shared its findings from a survey of 400 Black/African Americans in the Los Angeles media market (June 4-12, 2022) revealing their habits and attitudes toward the media landscape and trusted sources of news and information. The independent survey found that KBLA Talk 1580 fills a void in providing relevant programming and content to the Black community. Furthermore, in comparison to other talk stations in LA, Smiley’s KBLA consistently emerged as “the station of choice” for the African American listener. EVITARUS is a widely respected public opinion research and public policy consulting firm based in LA. Visit EVITARUS.com.
KBLA Talk 1580 is helmed by Smiley of SmileyAudioMedia, Inc. Elston Howard Butler runs the day-to-day operations as president and general manager of the station and also serves as president and COO of the holding company, SmileyAudioMedia, Inc.
The studios of KBLA Talk 1580 are located in historic Leimert Park, directly adjacent to Destination Crenshaw’s “Sankofa Park,” a 1.3-mile open-air museum along the new Crenshaw/LAX Metro rail line, presently under construction.
For more information, visit KBLA1580.com.
ABOUT KBLA TALK 1580
KBLA Talk 1580 AM is a heritage station and the original home of the iconic hip hop station KDAY. At 50,000 watts, day and night, KBLA serves a coverage area of nearly 12 million listeners. KBLA Talk 1580 boasts an all-star lineup of hosts who speak candidly and passionately to the challenges people of color face daily trying to navigate life and realize their hopes and dreams. KBLA Talk 1580 serves an audience long ignored by talk radio in Los Angeles – people of color and progressives. For more information, visit KBLA1580.com.
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source: Wyllisa Bennett
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