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L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Receives Support From Black Community After Wildfire Response Backlash
by Raquelle Harris
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January 26, 2025

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L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Receives Support From Black Community After Wildfire Response Backlash

Since the wildfires began in Pacific Palisades and Altadena on January 8, due to historically catastrophic winds and dry conditions, over 16,000 structures have been lost. New fires have sparked in other areas of Los Angeles, continuing a sense of anxiousness for Angelenos. Los Angles Mayor Karen Bass has faced vitriol from residents and outsiders for her response to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires since natural disasters began earlier this month.

Criticism centers around her absence during the onset of the wildfires due a diplomatic appearance in Ghana, alleged budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department, and disdain for her leadership from right-wing pundits. Public dissatisfaction has led to a petition calling for Mayor Bass’ recall, which has garnered over 152,000 signatures, according to FOX 11.

Several Black celebrities, politicians, and public figures have rallied on social media for Mayor Bass, who is the first woman and the second Black person to be elected as the mayor of Los Angeles. Many believe the backlash is due to her race and gender.

“She’s got a spine of steel, and she’s also been a Black woman in America for a very long time, so none of this is new to her,”  actress Yvette Nicole Brown insisted in a video posted to her Instagram account.

“This is not the time to blame, this is the time to get some resources. She has reached out far; we have planes coming in from other countries to help us,” added fellow actress Kym Whitley.

As the blazes have spread so has misinformation about the wildfires, which has prompted members of the 92% to give receipts on Mayor Bass’ behalf. Reecie Colbert, host of Sirius XM’s The Reecie Colbert Show, partnered with Win With Black Women to explain how the fiscal factors have been taken out of context.

“I joined @winwithblackwomen to give a comprehensive breakdown of why the attacks against Mayor Bass are not just off base but disproven by acknowledging the LAFD budget and spending numbers in context,” she captioned an Instagram video of her in-depth explanation. “Using my 20 yrs of budget development and tracking, here I analyze the fiscal picture that has been obscured to exploit the LA wildfires for political gain.”

 

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A post shared by Reecie Colbert (@reeciecolbert)

Mayor Bass has taken a deep dive into relief efforts while asserting that alleged cuts to the LAFD budget  — which have been proven to be false; the budget increased by more than 7% compared to the prior year, city’s financial analysts told the Los Angeles Times — did not delay the firefighting efforts.

“There were no reductions that were made that would have impacted the situation,” she said during a press conference. Fires are a reoccurring issue in the L.A. area due to factors such dry vegetation, Santa Ana winds and climate change coupled with urban expansion, according to experts.

Tonya McKenzie, a Los Angeles County Commissioner, challenged critics to help instead of harm by spending their time, energy, and resources on assisting the victims of the recent fires.

“One thing I know for certain is that a significant number of people do not understand the difference between Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles,” McKenzie told Black Love via email. “This lack of understanding regarding jurisdiction can lead individuals to mistakenly believe that Mayor Bass is responsible for areas over which she has no authority. … To claim that she is neglecting her duties is counterintuitive. Mayor Bass prioritizes the city and its residents, and any assertion to the contrary is inflammatory and untrue.”

 

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She added, “Many of the critics attacking Mayor Bass are the same individuals who supported a felon for president who allowed a million Americans to die from COVID-19 by mishandling that crisis.” McKenzie also noted that the homeless population in Los Angeles has decreased significantly, which is a testament to the dedication and hard work of Mayor Bass.

Comedian Ty Barnett echoed Mckenzie’s sentiments via a video in which he passionately expressed disgust with those who want to get rid of Mayor Bass.

“The fact that y’all are believing these lies without taking the time to verify that they are lies tells me a lot about this country,” he said in an incredulous tone.

 

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A post shared by Ty Barnett (@tybarnett23)

Legal analyst and news correspondent, Monique Pressley addressed how the situation has been politicized with Mayor Bass as the scapegoat: “For people who have the most to exploit the pain of those who have the least is sinister. Folks [are] playing politics and jostling for position on top of utter devastation and families [are] not even yet able to bury their dead. Sickening. And no, you will not get a pass on trying to push false narratives and —surprise, surprise — blame the Black woman for wind systems, dry vegetation and wildfires,” she posted in a recent Instagram caption.

CNN contributor and award-winning civil rights attorney Areva Martin and her family were among the 200,000 people who had to evacuate. She shared on Instagram that she is standing with Mayor Bass and the 15,000-plus firefighters, law enforcement, and emergency responders from across the globe who are battling the wildfires. She also highlighted several facts, including that Mayor Bass was in Ghana on official, diplomatic business when the fires started.

As of January 24, over 16,000 homes, businesses and structures have been destroyed by the wildfires, according to CBS News. There have been at least 28 fatalities and 50,000 people under evacuation orders and warnings. The economic impact is estimated between $250 to $275 billion, making these wildfires among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, according to the KTLA 5 News.

For those who are displaced or want to help L.A. fire relief efforts, check out Black Love’s list of resources.

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