LOS ANGELES (KNX) - Karen Bass has officially been sworn in as Los Angeles' 43rd mayor.
The program featured various speakers and performances, celebrating the historic moment in the city, including the Oath of Office administered by Vice President Kamala Harris and a performance by music icon and legend Stevie Wonder.
Also, to mark the occasion, poems by the first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, and Sophie Szew, last year's Woorilla Poetry Prize winner.
At one point the event was disrupted by a hackler who was quickly removed from the stage.
Mayor Bass started her speech by announcing the first step in her administration's plan to combat homelessness, saying, "We know our mission – we must build housing in every neighborhood."
Bass believes the way forward is to connect with community members to determine where housing should be built.
To fulfill her lofty promises on combatting homelessness, Mayor Bass says, "I will start my first day as mayor at our city's Emergency Operations Center, where my first act as mayor will be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness."
She admits the job cannot be done by her office alone and, therefore, calls on City Council, City Attorney, and City Controller to continue working on an urgent strategy to solve homelessness.
"If we come together and focus on solutions rather than jurisdiction...we will save lives and save our city – that is my mission as your mayor."
Karen Bass is not only looking at other public officials to do their part; she calls on all Angelenos.
"You elected me to lead, and lead I will do." "But I am also asking you, Angelenos, to join me in moving our city forward. "make our neighborhoods – every neighborhood -- safe through a strategy that is informed by our communities."
If you find yourself wondering how you might be able to help, Mayor Bass says, "Did you know L.A. City has hundreds of vacancies in the very departments that respond to community needs?"
Bass says if you want a good-paying union job, and would like to help the City of L.A. is a great place to look.
Bass painted a future filled with hard work and big vision, with plenty of promises, and believes it is a future "we can build together, Los Angeles."
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