Mayor-elect Karen Bass was sworn into office Sunday at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. by Vice President Kamala Harris.
With the ceremony, Bass became the first woman to be inaugurated as mayor, and the second African American to hold the position.
The ceremony was originally supposed to be held at Los Angeles City Hall but was moved inside due to rain. The theater seats more than 7,000 people.
Bass was sworn in by special guest Vice President Kamala Harris, who endorsed her campaign earlier this year.
The ceremony featured poems by Amanda Gorman, former National Youth Poet Laureate, and performances by Stevie Wonder, Mary Mary and the Hamilton High School chamber choir.
During her inaugural address, Bass touched on the issue of homelessness, which she says is her No. 1 priority as mayor.
“When life is this hard for some Angelenos, it affects all Angelenos. That is why tomorrow morning, I will start my first day as mayor at our city’s Emergency Operations Center, where my first act as mayor will be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness,” Bass said. “My emergency declaration will recognize the severity of our crisis and break new ground to maximize our ability to urgently move people inside, and do so for good.”
The new mayor said her emergency declaration will lead the city in a new direction in the battle against homelessness with a “unified and citywide strategy.”
In her address, Bass also thanked outgoing mayor Eric Garcetti for his contributions to the city over more than two decades of service.
“When we light the Olympic Torch in 2028, when we take public transit to the airport, when we go to bed in apartments safer from earthquakes, and when we breathe in cleaner air, Angelenos will be benefiting from your legacy,” Bass said of her predecessor.
Bass’s first day is her new role is Monday. She will take the reins of a city dealing with widespread concern over crime and a city council embroiled in a racism scandal.
“You elected me to lead, and lead I will do. But I am also asking you, Angelenos, to join me in moving our city forward,” Bass said.