In 1912, Charlotta Bass was a success. She owned a newspaper, The California Eagle, a powerful voice for Black people. In spite of her comfortable life, she still decided to risk it all, and that made people nervous.
Bass’s husband and co-editor, Joseph, often said, “One of these days you are going to get me killed,” and she’d firmly reply: “It will be in a good cause.” His concern was understandable. When Bass denounced the 1915 film, “The Birth of a Nation,” for portraying the KKK as heroes, she put a huge target on her back.
Years later, Bass published a private letter signed by the leader of the California Klan, outlining a plan to frame Black activists by having them falsely arrested for drunk driving. When the writer of the letter sued Bass for libel, he was humiliated in court and lost.
Pressed and bothered, the Klan repeatedly barraged Bass with threatening phone calls. Upset by her response, eight Klan members entered The Eagle’s headquarters, only to turn and run as soon as Bass pulled a pistol on them.
Bass’ courage shows that liberation is impossible without the storytellers who dare to expose the truth about white terrorism and racism. Fighting back has always been part of our DNA.