Black Equity Collective
Black spaces that highlight and celebrate Black people and their accomplishments are becoming more of a norm than a trend. Collective Conversations, created by the Black Equity Collective (BEC), is a candid spotlight on the state of nonprofits and philanthropy by the folks who run and fund them. BEC Founder and Chief Architect Kaci Patterson is joined by members of the BEC and special guests in an intimate conversation as they discuss the intricacies of running nonprofits, working in philanthropy, and the future of Black Permanency in California.
The special guest for the event hosted on Monday was none other than Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Before Bass became the first African-American woman elected as mayor, she was a front-line healthcare provider as a nurse and physician assistant. Bass founded the Community Coalition to organize the predominantly Black and Latino residents of South L.A. against substance abuse, poverty, and crime and to pioneer strategies to address the root causes behind the challenges faced by underserved neighborhoods.
“I feel very passionate about the non-profit sector, and one of my dreams, once I’m done with being in office, is to create an educator for nonprofits that are Black and Latino lead in South Los Angeles,” Bass said. “We have to support each other no matter what. That’s the only way we are going to get ahead.”
Bass helped to create the Community Coalition 34 years ago to strengthen the community as it was under attack from poverty, crime, drugs, homelessness, and lack of support from the local government. “I was always driven by issues, never by position, and what led me to create the coalition was because I saw a phenomenon happening, which was the crack and aids epidemic,” Bass said. “We were attacked in every direction, and I felt like the Black community wasn’t going to survive; I feared a collapse. I started the coalition to shift the agenda as society and politicians passed laws to incarnate people with health and social problems.”
During her time of leadership, the coalition helped thousands of people with their mental, social, and physical health while also providing places of residency for the homeless. Bass was elected to represent Los Angeles in the State Assembly and elected by her peers to serve as Speaker, making her the first African-American woman to ever lead a state legislative body in the history of the United States.
