President Biden, VP Harris endorse Karen Bass For Los Angeles Mayor

In a joint statement President Biden and Vice President Harris endorsed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Karen Bass on Tuesday ahead of November’s election.

"We are endorsing Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor because we are eager to continue to partner with her on innovative strategies to reduce homelessness and increase public safety and prosperity," Biden and Harris said in a joint statement released by the Bass campaign. "Karen Bass has our friendship, and she has earned our respect through her leadership in Congress on crime prevention strategies, effective and fair policing, and the welfare of children and families."

Statement from President Joe Biden On the Passing of Bill Russell

President Biden released the following statement on the death ofBill Russell:

The promise of America is that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We’ve never fully lived up to that promise, but Bill Russell made sure we never walked away from it.

By August 1963, he had won six of what would be 11 NBA championships in his 13 years in the league with the Boston Celtics, a defining career that would include five regular season Most Valuable Player awards, an Olympic gold medal, and serving as the first Black coach of any major sports league in America.

But on the historic day of August 28, 1963, there he was at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as a towering champion for freedom, equality, and justice as Dr. King delivered a dream for the Nation.

That was Bill Russell. From a childhood in segregated Louisiana to a career playing on the biggest stages in sports at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Bill faced the hostility and hate of racism embedded in every part of American life. Yet, he never gave up. Throughout his life, he forced us to confront hard truths. And on this day, there are generations of Americans who are reflecting on what he meant to them as someone who played for the essential truth that every person is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.

Bill Russell is one of the greatest athletes in our history – an all-time champion of champions, and a good man and great American who did everything he could to deliver the promise of America for all Americans.

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Nichelle Nichols

President Biden released the following statement on the death of Nichelle Nichols:

In Nichelle Nichols, our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women.

A daughter of a working-class family from Illinois, she first honed her craft as an actor and singer in Chicago before touring the country and the world performing with the likes of Duke Ellington and giving life to the words of James Baldwin.

During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, she shattered stereotypes to become the first Black woman to act in a major role on a primetime television show with her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek. With a defining dignity and authority, she helped tell a central story that reimagined scientific pursuits and discoveries. And she continued this legacy by going on to work with NASA to empower generations of Americans from every background to reach for the stars and beyond.

Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nichelle Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are cornerstones of every society.

NASA statement on the passing of Nichelle Nichols

NASA released the following statement on the passing of Nichelle Nichols:

We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.

Statement from Bernice King on the passing of Nichelle Nichols

Bernice King released the following statement on the passing of Nichelle Nichols:

Representation matters.

Excellence in representation matters even more.

Thank you, Nichelle Nichols.

Rest well, ancestor.