Special to PV
In the blood of majority of African-Americans flows the genetic strength of ancestors from yonder years. Ancestors captured from their dignity in West Africa and forced into slavery. Despite their captivity and inhuman treatment by slave-masters, the quality of their intellect continued to be passed from generation to generation and is today found exhibited by intelligent and stunning black ladies like First Lady Michelle Obama. Today, I have one such worthy black lady in mind. No, she hails not from Africa but is an African; an African-American. US politician and congresswoman, Karen Ruth Bass is easily the most influential black woman on the current U.S. Congress if we are to look at issues surrounding Africa’s relationship with America as well as issues of Global Health and issues of Human Rights.
Karen Ruth Bass was born on October 3rd 1953 (one day after President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone). She is currently serving in the United States House of Representatives where, like her Democratic colleague Barack Obama, she was re-elected in November 2012 for a second term. Prior to being elected into Congress, she made History when she became the first African-American woman in entire U.S. history to serve as Speaker of the House of Assembly of the most populous State in the USA, the State of California.
Karen Ruth Bass currently serves on the Congressional House Committee on Foreign Affairs where she is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. Frankly speaking, this is the most important U.S. Congressional sub-committee that all African Nations would like to be in good relations with. She is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Representative Karen Bass is also playing a leadership role in the all-influential Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), where she serves as Whip for the 113th Congress. The CBC is a group made up of all elected blacks sitting in both houses of Congress (Representatives and Senators).
The acumen of Karen Bass was already well showcased when she served as Speaker during California’s greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. In addition to helping to navigate California through a very difficult time, she also championed various laudable efforts including the jumpstarting of California’s slumped economy and institution of billions of dollars of infrastructure projects.
Recognising her high quality leadership, the Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi asked her to serve on the prestigious Steering and Policy Committee, which sets the policy direction of the Democratic Caucus.
Only in her second term, Congresswoman Bass is solidifying America’s leadership positions on an issue very close to her heart: strengthening the United States’ relationship with Africa. She acted swiftly during her first term to bring legislators, advocacy groups and international leaders together to extend the third country fabric provision of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The provision supports stability, development, and economic growth of sub-Saharan African countries by protecting jobs in the apparel sector and providing some of the best markets for American businesses to sell their goods and services.
Before serving as an elected official, Representative Bass became interested in community activism as a child watching the Civil Rights movement with her father, DeWitt Bass. It was at that time that she made a lifetime commitment to effecting social change in her community and abroad. She grew up with three brothers in the Venice/Fairfax area of Los Angeles and is the only daughter of DeWitt and Wilhelmina Bass. She graduated from Hamilton High School, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and the University of Southern California’s School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program.
To summarise her political life, she was member of the California parliament (Assembly) from 2005 until 2010 during which she was elected first African-American female Speaker of the California parliament from 2008 until 2010 when she became elected to the U.S. Congress where she currently serves as a bright light and a Role Model per excellence to African Americans and dare I say, to Africans.
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