Joseph Blackburn Bass and Frederick Madison Roberts, Los Angeles (?), 1921-1930

Title: Joseph Blackburn Bass and Frederick Madison Roberts, Los Angeles (?), 1921-1930
Alternative title: Joseph Blackburn Bass, husband of Charlotta, and newspaper editor
Date Created: [1921-1930]
Date: 1921/1930
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: Frederick Madison Roberts was a newspaper owner and editor, educator, and business owner. He was also the first African American elected to the California State Assembly. Roberts was a great-grandson of Sally Hemings and President Thomas Jefferson.
Joseph Blackburn Bass founded the Topeka Call, a black community newspaper. He continued to work on that newspaper when it was purchased by another owner and its name changed to the Topeka Plaindealer. Bass was active in local politics, and in 1896 was one of the Kansas delegates to the Republican National Convention that nominated William McKinley for President. After a short stint publishing a black community newspaper in Helena, Montana, Bass moved to Los Angeles, where in 1913, he accepted Charlotta Spears' offer to edit the California Eagle. Spears and Bass married in 1914.
Joseph Blackburn Bass (left), editor-in-chief of the California Eagle and husband of Charlotta Bass, with Frederick Madison Roberts, the first African-American elected to the California Assembly. Bass is wearing the fez and medallion of a fraternal order. Roberts served in the California Assembly from 1919-1933. The California Eagle supported Roberts' candidacy and his legislative initiatives aimed at eliminating racial discrimination.

Genre: photographs
Names: Roberts, Frederick Madison, 1879-1952
Bass, J. B. (Joseph Blackburn), 1867-1934
Subject Geographic: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Resource type: still image
Subjects: African American legislators
African American newspaper editors