Podcast Summary: Mick Unplugged

Episode: Karen Bass Talks Community Power and Progress in Los Angeles

Host: Mick Hunt
Guest: Mayor Karen Bass
Date: September 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Mick Unplugged features Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a candid, in-depth conversation about modern leadership, the roots and meaning of her activism, and the challenges and progress witnessed in Los Angeles. Mick Hunt and Mayor Bass discuss transformative leadership, community power, media narratives, and the city’s recent triumphs and upcoming opportunities. The tone is warm, authentic and purposeful, with powerful insights on motivation, justice, and coalition-building.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovering Your "Because" — The Motivation Behind Leadership

• Mayor Bass on her core motivation:
  “I grew up as a kid, couldn't wait to be an adult so I could get out in the world and fight for justice...to me, when you're in the land that has everything, why can't that be shared?” — Mayor Karen Bass [02:25]
• She attributes her purpose to growing up during the Civil Rights movement, hearing firsthand accounts from her father, and witnessing persistent injustice despite the nation's abundance.

2. From Advocate to Mayor: The Decision to Lead

• Catalyst for running for mayor:
  The explosion of homelessness in LA mirrored past crises (the crack epidemic, AIDS), prompting her to return from Congress:
  “I couldn't sit in my comfortable position in Congress and watch the city go backwards. And it's the same thing I thought when I was at the university.” — Mayor Karen Bass [04:13]
• Emphasizes continuity: her lifelong motivation to combat structural inequities.

3. Immediate Action and Community-Centric Strategy

• First acts as mayor:
  “The next day, instead of going to city hall, I went to our emergency operations center and I declared the city to be in a state of emergency.” — Mayor Karen Bass [08:55]
• She tackled homelessness head-on, rejecting punitive approaches and pushing for compassionate, community-based solutions.
• Personalizes the homelessness crisis with statistics: African Americans make up 9% of LA but over 30% of the unhoused, Latinos are 50% of LA but 40% of the unhoused [09:44].

4. Rallying the City: Uniting Diverse Communities

• Building coalitions:
  “Bringing the communities together to say that we have to solve this problem was critically important.” — Mayor Karen Bass [09:21]
• LA wasn’t committed to ending homelessness before, just managing it; she committed the city to real solutions.

5. Standing Tall Amid Federal Confrontation

• On resisting federal pressure:
  Mayor Bass recounts her response to militarized interventions in local parks:
  “I have to get out and find out who's in charge of this. So it was a no brainer in that sense...What are you guys doing? What’s your purpose here?” — Mayor Karen Bass [16:47]
• She describes the incursion as a performative show of force with no legitimate safety rationale, disrupting communities rather than protecting them.

6. The Reality vs. Media Narratives

• Challenging national media:
  Hunt shares how media exaggerated unrest in LA; in reality, there were minor, isolated protests:
  “I'm like, wait a second, what is going on?...turn the TV off. This is not what's going on.” — Mick Hunt [19:32]
• Bass echoes: “Los Angeles is 500 square miles. The protests happened in about one square mile, about four blocks. And they were relatively peaceful...” [20:10]
• She underscores the importance of direct communication to counteract misinformation and sensationalized stories.

7. Civic Engagement and Shared Governance

• Hunt encourages listeners:
  “Get involved with your local city government. Be a voice, be a face, be someone that your local council can depend on...” [24:49]
• Bass replies, highlighting transparency and inclusivity:
  “It's my responsibility also to reach out and to be inclusive and to not develop policies without bringing the people who are most impacted by those policies to the table...” [25:40]

8. Staying Grounded Amid Crisis

• Draws inspiration from history:
  “When times are hard, I do look to history...I remember going to the African American Museum and spending three hours in the basement...and you just think about all that the African American population has been through, and it's like, how dare I not fight?” — Mayor Karen Bass [27:25]

9. Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

• On resilience:
  “I'm a big believer in keeping my eyes on the prize and never getting confused by that...it's not that it's easy, but...keep your eyes on the prize and keep in touch with the people you're trying to impact.” — Mayor Karen Bass [29:37]

10. Looking Ahead: LA’s Global Stage and Inclusive Future

• Major events on the horizon: All-Star Game, US Open, World Cup, Super Bowl (2027), Olympics and Paralympics (2028):
  “We want the world to know that Los Angeles is more than the beach, Beverly Hills and Hollywood, but Los Angeles is East LA and South LA and the San Fernando Valley. Everyone in the world lives here.” — Mayor Karen Bass [31:12]
• Emphasizes ensuring that all communities share in opportunities presented by these events.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On true leadership:
  “You've been a voice for the voiceless, a face for the faceless. You've been a fighter for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.” — Mick Hunt [01:38]
• On history as a guide:
  “I think about all of the fights we’ve had to get where we are today. And that, to me, fills me up with encouragement and inspiration and dedication.” — Mayor Karen Bass [28:23]
• On LA’s diversity:
  “In just about every country that will arrive here, their diaspora lives here as well.” — Mayor Karen Bass [32:45]
• On unity amid adversity:
  “Our city is unified, has stood strong, is of one mind, and nothing that has happened on the federal level has divided our city.” — Mayor Karen Bass [33:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:25 – Mayor Bass describes her “because” and early motivations
• 04:13 – Decision to run for mayor: historical context and homelessness
• 08:55 – First acts as mayor: Emergency declaration and homelessness strategy
• 09:44 – Racial disparities in homelessness in LA
• 15:56 – Standing up to federal intervention and media portrayal
• 20:10 – Media misrepresentation, setting the real story straight
• 25:40 – Importance of community engagement in governance
• 27:25 – Staying grounded: looking to history for courage
• 29:37 – Turning challenges into opportunities; resilience
• 31:12 – Upcoming major events and demand for inclusive progress

Final Thoughts

Mayor Karen Bass powerfully articulates a vision of justice, unity, and action—rooted in history and propelled by community involvement. This episode offers practical and inspirational leadership lessons: know your “because,” lead with courage, value collaboration, challenge distortions, and keep the broader community at the heart of city progress.

Listeners are left with a clear call to civic engagement and an optimistic look at Los Angeles' future — one that includes and uplifts all its communities.

"Remember your because is your superpower, go unleash." — Mick Hunt [34:23]