Karen Bass makes her first speech as Mayor Elect in the Ebell Courtyard, November 17, 2022.
On Thursday, November 17 at 11.00 a.m we hosted a very special guest: Karen Bass had chosen The Ebell to be the venue at which to make her first speech as Mayor Elect and the first woman mayor of Los Angeles.
During her speech Mayor Bass referred to the Ebell motto: “I will find a way,” and also spoke of how, on the courtyard steps of our building, at that moment she was thinking of her mother, her daughter, and of all the women of LA.
Our thanks go to Stacy Brightman, who got the call the afternoon before and stayed well after hours to supervise all the preparation needed for this historic event, and to write a superb speech introducing the Mayor Elect, which can be seen in full in the video, and reproduced here:
Good morning, My name is Stacy Brightman and I am the Executive Director of The Ebell of Los Angeles, a women-lead and women-centered nonprofit. On behalf of our Board of Directors, our membership and staff, it is my honor to welcome you here on this bright shining day.
The Ebell was founded in 1894 by a small group of bold women, who did not have the right to vote, and were denied most avenues for education or careers. They believed that by banding together and creating their own opportunities to learn, to create, to advocate and to lead, women could and would make a better future for their sisters, daughters, nieces, and yes their husbands, brothers and sons too. Our Ebell motto has always been, “I will find a way, or make one.”
The Ebell women built this exquisite arts and education campus in 1927 to be a beautiful and inspiring beacon to women and girls throughout Los Angeles, and to be an inclusive space where art, culture, ideas and civic engagement converge and our community is uplifted. It is a place where herstory has been made and celebrated for almost 100 years. Surely the spirits of the thousands of determined women who gathered, studied and worked here are smiling and celebrating today, because today a dream has come true: for the first time, Los Angeles has elected a woman mayor. She is a beacon for all Angelenos. It is my jubilant honor to welcome the next Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.
While you watch the video, see if you can spot Ebell board members LaToya Hearns, Christy McAvoy, Lizzie Blatt, and President Laurie Schechter.
Mayor Bass posed with the members of the board immediately after her speech and prior to a press conference held in the Lounge.
Members of the board with Mayor Bass. From left back: Lizzie Blatt, Randi Jones, President Laurie Shechter, Lee Braly, Anne Lynch, Julie Barkan. From left front: Christy McAvoy, LaToya Hearns, Fran Varga, Mayor Karen Bass, Exec. Director Stacy Brightman.
