Student Article
Charlotta Bass: The Civil Rights Fighter Who Ran for U.S. Vice President
Sympathizer (noun): Someone who supports a particular cause or group.
Prejudice (noun): An unfair feeling of dislike for someone based on race, religion, etc.
McCarthyism (noun): The practice of making unfair accusations, especially of communism, without proper evidence.
Platform (noun): A set of beliefs or goals of a political party.
Surveillance (noun): Close observation, often by government authorities.
Charlotta Bass was a trailblazing journalist, civil rights leader, and political pioneer who made history in 1952 as the first Black woman nominated for the U.S. vice presidency. Born in South Carolina in either 1874 or 1880, she witnessed the cruel effects of Jim Crow laws from an early age. Seeking freedom, she moved north to Rhode Island and attended Pembroke College, eventually launching a career in journalism that would span four decades.
Fighting racism with a pen (and a gun!)
After relocating to California, Charlotta took charge of the newspaper, the California Eagle, transforming it into a platform for civil rights advocacy. She campaigned against racism in housing, police brutality, segregated schools, and discrimination in the workplace. She bravely fought against the Ku Klux Klan, surviving a direct attack: when Klansmen tried to break into her office, she frightened them off by brandishing a gun she didn’t know how to use.
Standing up for the underdog: Charlotta’s advocacy
Throughout her career, Charlotta worked with both moderate and radical organizations, including the NAACP and Marcus Garvey’s UNIA. She defended civil liberties across racial lines, championing the rights of Japanese-Americans during internment and Mexican-American youth in the Sleepy Lagoon trial.
The FBI’s watchlist: too bold for comfort
Her activism made her a target of government scrutiny. The FBI monitored her closely for decades, labeling her a Communist sympathizer — especially after her visit to Moscow, where she noted the lack of racial prejudice compared with the U.S. In a climate of McCarthyism, such views made her politically dangerous.
Breaking barriers: Charlotta’s historic vice presidential run
Charlotta, disillusioned with both Republicans and Democrats, joined the Progressive Party and ran for Congress in 1950. In 1952, she was selected as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, running alongside Vincent Hallinan, who was in prison during part of the campaign. Their platform included universal healthcare, racial equality, and peace in Korea.
A legacy of truth and courage
Though they won just 0.2% of the vote, Charlotta Bass left a lasting legacy. She continued her activism into old age, remaining under FBI surveillance until two years before her death in 1969. Despite the constant pressure, she remained unflinching in her belief in justice, saying, “I shall continue to tell the truth as I know it… as a good progressive citizen, and a good American.”
© Sonia Grant / www.historyextra.com
Sympathizer (noun): Someone who supports a particular cause or group.
Prejudice (noun): An unfair feeling of dislike for someone based on race, religion, etc.
McCarthyism (noun): The practice of making unfair accusations, especially of communism, without proper evidence.
Platform (noun): A set of beliefs or goals of a political party.
Surveillance (noun): Close observation, often by government authorities.