Mayor Bass to Become First Black Woman Mayor to Receive Olympic Flag Tomorrow
PARIS, FRANCE — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Chair of LA28 Casey Wasserman discussed action they’ve taken thus far to prepare for 2028 and the lasting benefits that will be built for the community at the Main Press Center of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Mayor Bass also previewed Sunday's Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony where she will become the first Black woman mayor to ever receive the official Olympic flag during a Closing Ceremony. The Mayor is in Paris, France with Los Angeles regional officials as they continue to make crucial preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. Photos and video from throughout the trip are available here.
During the press conference earlier today, Mayor Bass gave the following remarks:
Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you, Casey, thank you for your work over these years, your leadership…
And I have to tell you that I am so proud to be the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles, home to 4 million Angelenos and world famous beaches, restaurants and cultures that represent every single part of the world. Los Angeles is made up of people, religions and traditions from all over, and we cannot wait to showcase that diversity to the world for the third time.
And before I go any further, I want to stop and recognize Mayor Hidalgo and the city of Paris team. Mayor Hidalgo is the first woman to serve as Mayor of Paris and being the first woman to serve as Mayor of Los Angeles, we know that tomorrow, as Casey described, we will be sharing a historic moment as I received the flag from her.
And when we do that exchanging of the flag, we will be sending a message to girls all across the world that they can do anything. They can run for the gold, and they can run for office, or hopefully they'll do both!
I'm also happy to be here with two of the leaders from Los Angeles, the President of our City Council, Paul Krekorian, the chair of the Ad Hoc committee for the Olympic Games Traci Park. The three of us were here in March, and we were welcomed by the Mayor, who opened City Hall to us. She opened those doors so that we can make crucial preparations for 2028 in Los Angeles…
We have this phrase that we say, “locking arms” when we partner with all levels of government to get tangible work done. Locking arms in our city is not just rhetoric, but it means taking action to move our city forward, and that's exactly what we're prepared to do for L.A. and for the world.
As we've seen here in Paris, the Olympics are an opportunity to make transformative change. It's our top priority to ensure that the Olympic preparations benefit Angelenos for decades to come, and we're already doing that by the investment in youth sports. We want to make sure that we're helping small local businesses, that we're creating local jobs and making lasting environmental and transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles.
Back in L.A., we're already meeting with businesses about procurement, especially small businesses. And I'll say that that's something that I admire Paris is doing, making a commitment that a percentage of the business goes to small businesses here. We're already working to create jobs by expanding our public transportation system in order for us to have a no-car games.
And that's a feat in Los Angeles, because we've always been in love with our cars, but we're already working to ensure that we can build a greener Los Angeles. That's a priority of mine as we get ready for these games, making sure that all of Los Angeles is on display. And I know that with the help of the city, the county, the state, the federal governments, that we will get this done in a way that is sustainable, that brings jobs to Los Angeles and visitors to every corner.
So in 1984, 40 years ago, Mayor Bradley, the first Black Mayor of Los Angeles, held an Olympic Games that, 40 years later, still benefits Los Angeles, and we want to build on that legacy together.
We are so excited to create the opportunity for Angelenos that lasts for decades, for their children and grandchildren to remember that the 2028 Olympics served as a catalyst for their family's success, and that's exactly what we plan to do.
Thank you very much, and I look forward to tomorrow's Closing Ceremony.
Ensuring Angelenos benefit from the preparation and hosting of this major event, both now and for decades, is a top priority for the Mayor with a focus on helping local small businesses, creating local jobs and creating lasting environmental and transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles.
Mayor Bass made the following announcements this week:
Delivering Critical Street Safety Provisions Near Schools: Hundreds of safety provisions near schools have been installed to make it safer for students to get to and from school. These installations follow action from the Mayor and City Council last year in response to tragic pedestrian deaths.
Bringing More Angelenos Inside: More than 30 unhoused Angelenos were brought inside with supportive services through Inside Safe response efforts in areas including South Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood.
Connecting Angelenos With The Olympic Games: The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) will host a series of live-streamed viewing parties of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France and offer sports activities for youth across the city. The PlayLA Youth and Adaptive Youth Sports Programs under RAP are bringing the excitement of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles. PlayLA is the single largest commitment to youth sports development in California and serves as a legacy before, during and after the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
What They’re Saying: Hollywood and entertainment leaders applauded Mayor Bass’ executive directive to renew city support for L.A.’s entertainment industry.
Helping House Vets: Following the direct advocacy of Mayor Bass and the United States Conference of Mayors to the federal government, a new policy change will make more veterans eligible for housing and increase their housing options. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a federal notice establishing policy changes that make it clear that veterans experiencing homelessness should not be disqualified from supportive housing based on their disability status.
Expanding Safety Programs: The Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE) program is expanding its current Venice and Del Rey service area to also cover Oakwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey, Westchester, Manchester Square and Dockweiler Beach. CIRCLE provides services to help respond to calls involving unhoused individuals, including loitering, well-being checks, noise disturbances, substance abuse issues, and indecent exposure. The expansion will launch 24/7 service on Sunday, August 25th.
Serving Communities All Across L.A: Mayor Bass announced the final weekend of Summer Night (SNL), a program that provides safe, family-friendly programming as a strategy to prevent violence in certain neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, which has hired more than 600 Angelenos to support, and more than 80,000 residents and visitors have attended. SNL is part of a proven comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime and improve health across the City. This summer, SNL has been in more than 40 sites across the City of Los Angeles on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm until August 10th. Please see photos here.
Supporting The Entertainment Industry: Mayor Bass issued her eighth executive directive to streamline and focus City department processes for local film and television production.
READOUTS FROM TODAY IN PARIS:
Partnering with Private Companies like Delta – An LA28 inaugural founding partner, Mayor Bass met with Delta leadership as she continues to lock arms with the public and private sectors to create a lasting legacy from the 2028 Games.
Locking Arms With The White House and Other Federal Partners – Mayor Bass met with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and also spoke with U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler and Congressman Robert Garcia about increased partnership ahead of the 2028 Games.
Observing Sport Competitions – Mayor Bass supported Team USA at the Men’s Basketball final where the USA played against France, while observing the different venues in Paris — their crowd flow, capacity, and other important characteristics that will factor into the planning of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mayor Bass will receive the official Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo during the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Sunday. Mayor Hidalgo and Mayor Bass are both the first women to serve as Mayor of their respective cities. Mayor Bass will make history by becoming the first Black woman mayor to ever receive the official Olympic flag during a Closing Ceremony. For more information, click here.