Student Article

Charlotta Bass was a powerful voice for civil rights and justice in America. Born in the late 1800s in South Carolina, she grew up during a time when Jim Crow laws made life unfair for Black people. She moved to Rhode Island to escape the South’s harsh rules, and there she began working in journalism. Eventually, she moved to California and took over the California Eagle, one of the most important Black newspapers in the country.

Fighting racism with a pen (and a gun!)

Through her writing, Charlotta stood up against racism, police brutality, and unfair housing laws. She even led a campaign to ban the racist movie The Birth of a Nation, a movie that made the Ku Klux Klan more popular. When Klansmen came to scare her at her office, she held up a gun and made them run away — even though she didn’t know how to shoot it.

Standing up for the underdog: Charlotta’s advocacy

Charlotta also helped defend people who were treated unfairly, like the Mexican-American teens in the Sleepy Lagoon case and Japanese-Americans during World War II. She worked with groups like the NAACP and Marcus Garvey’s UNIA, building bridges across communities.

The FBI’s watchlist: too bold for comfort

Because of her outspoken views, the FBI called her “subversive” and followed her for years. They thought she might be a Communist, especially after she visited Moscow and said she didn’t see racism there.

Breaking barriers: Charlotta’s historic vice presidential run

In 1952, Charlotta Bass became the first Black woman nominated for U.S. vice president. She ran with Vincent Hallinan on the Progressive Party ticket. Though they didn’t win, they raised big ideas like ending the Korean War and providing universal healthcare.

A legacy of truth and courage

Charlotta spent the rest of her life working in her community. Even as she got older and sick, she stayed strong. She once said, “I shall continue to tell the truth as I know it… as a good American.”

© Sonia Grant / www.historyextra.com