U. S. house of representatives District 37

Karen Bass became interested in community activism while watching the civil rights movement in her youth. In 1990, in response to the crack-cocaine and gang violence crisis that was gripping Los Angeles, Bass founded Community Coalition, a community-based social justice organization in South L.A. that empowers the African-American and Latino community across generations to address substance abuse, poverty and crime in South Los Angeles. Through her leadership at Community Coalition, Bass worked to engage community residents in addressing the root causes of injustice. The organization has been recognized nationally for successful public policy campaigns that have won millions of dollars for the community. Prior to launching Community Coalition, Karen was a nurse and clinical instructor at USC. She is a graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills and the University of Southern California.