THE ANCESTORS IN “LETTERS TO KAMALA”

Charlotta Spears Bass (Between 1874 & 1889 –1969)

In 1952, Charlotta Spears Bass was the first Black woman to run for Vice President on the Progressive Party’s ticket alongside Vincent Hallinan. Her work as a Black leftist journalist often overshadows her efforts in American politics. It is without a doubt, however, that her political aspirations were inspired by her work as a journalist. As the owner and editor of The California Eagle, one of Los Angeles’ first Black newspapers from 1912 to 1951, Bass dedicated her news reporting to racial inequities such as racially restrictive residential covenants and racial hiring practices in Los Angeles. Reflecting on her journalism career, Bass states that she aimed to contest “The two-headed monster, Segregation and Discrimination.” In doing so, Bass helped to secure employment for African Americans at several prominent companies, including the Southern Telephone Company, Los Angeles General Hospital, and the Los Angeles Railway. Additionally, Bass used her newspaper to oppose racist representations of African Americans in films such as The Birth of a Nation (1915).

When Bass was nominated by actor and activist Paul Robeson, with a seconding of the nomination by sociologist, historian, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois, she was aware she would probably not win. During a campaign rally in Chicago, Bass stated, “This is a historic moment in American political life. Historic for myself, for my people, for all women. For the first time in the history of this nation a political party has chosen a Negro woman for the second highest office in the land.” As such, Bass’ run was to set the course for the future of politics, especially where African Americans were concerned.

Patsy Takemoto Mink (1927–2002))

In 1964, after a second seat was created in the U.S. House of Representatives, Patsy Mink took her seat, making her the first Asian-American woman and woman of color to serve in the US Congress. Throughout her lengthy career in Congress, Mink was a voice for underrepresented and marginalized groups, focusing on gender and racial equality, affordable childcare, and bilingual education. A major feat for Mink was when she became a significant supporter and a co-author of Title IX, which was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002 in honor of passing. In addition to her work in Congress, Mink was a staunch advocate for anti-war activism. For example, during the late 1960s and 1970s, Mink opposed the use of the Pacific lands, waters, and peoples as sites of military experimentation, which would subsequently expose them to nuclear and chemical testing and war games. Mink’s anti-war sentiments attracted the Oregon Democrats, who, in turn, sponsored her to run for President in 1972.

The nomination marked her as the first East Asian-American woman to seek the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. Although Mink only received 2% of the vote, she remained steadfast in her commitment to American politics. She would continue to serve in several capacities, including forming the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus.

Charlene Mitchell (1930-2022)

At the young age of 13, Charlene Mitchell became a human rights activist when she demonstrated against segregated bowling alleys and movie theatres in Chicago, IL. Joining the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) at the age of 16, Charlene Mitchell spent her entire life fighting for Black people locally and abroad. As one of the leading voices of the Communist Party, Mitchell had associated with other party leaders around the world, including Claudia Jones of London and Yusuf Dadoo of South Africa. On July 4th, 1968, Mitchell was nominated to run for President of the United States by the CPUSA. Accepting the nomination made Mitchell the first Black woman to run for President. Mitchell understood early on that she would not win the election; however, the campaign offered her an opportunity to broadcast the efforts and aims of the Community Part, which, today, is quite aligned with the goals of Democratic Socialism. One of Mitchell’s closest allies was Black Feminist political activist Angela Davis.

Upon Davis’ arrest in 1970, Mitchell took on the role of executive director of the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Mitchell’s political and activist-centered stance can be summarized in her following quote: “What we need is a revolutionary transformation … replacing white capitalism with black capitalism isn’t going to solve the problems of poverty: the problems of poverty are rooted in the nature of capitalism itself.

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Charlotta Bass photo credit: © Los Angeles Examiner—USC Libraries/Corbis/Getty Images

Patsy Mink photo credit: Courtesy of Kimberlee Bassford

Charlene Mitchell (left) and Angela Davis photo credit: Courtesy of People's World Archive