Actresses Yvette Nicole Brown & Kym Whitley Say Criticism Against L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ Wildfire Response Is ‘Racist’

Actresses Yvette Nicole Brown and Kym Whitley suggested that criticism of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass over her handling of the L.A. wildfires is racist.

“Let me tell you something, she’s got a spine of steel,” Brown told TMZ. “And she’s also been a black woman in America for a long time, so none of this is new to her. We are mad, because we’re tired of it.”

“We’re mad for her,” Whitley declared.

“But we’re mad for her, and we’re gonna stand – listen, I don’t know how you’re here, but I’m – I’m happy you’re here because somebody needs to say,” Brown, who is known for her role on Community.

Whitley stated that she is happy to stand behind and support Bass “because how is she handling – you can see it in her face. She stays calm, but think about this, she has the city to take care of. She does not have time to hear from these reporters.”

Brown then pointed out that Bass “is also not mayor of every municipality in California.”

,”There are people that are mad that she didn’t fix the fires in Malibu,” Brown stated. “She’s not the mayor of Malibu. What is she supposed to do in the city she’s not the mayor of? And let me say this too. I can imagine how much it would hurt to see this happening in the city that she loves. That’s first. So, take away how it feels for people to attack her. She’s heartbroken because this is happening in her city, a city that she loves.”

Whitley stated that the people do not “understand how large it is because a lot of people are sitting in other parts of the city.”

“They’re not in it,” she asserted. “They’re not in the fire. They’re not in the smoke. They don’t see – they’re not there, they’re watching TV. Why? And they want to blame someone. This is not the time to blame. It’s time to get some resources. [Bass] has reached out far, We have planes coming in from other countries to help us.”

Both Brown and Whitley then pleaded that people stay calm and strong and leave the mayor alone and put their faith in her as a leader.

Brown then mentioned that in the “30 years almost that [she has] lived in L.A.,” she had “never seen somebody everybody react like this to the man and blame one person for a natural disaster.”

Bass faced criticism after it was revealed that she was in Ghana attending a presidential inauguration when wildfires had broken out in the northern and western suburbs of the city.

She was also attacked by Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told CNN that Bass “failed” her city, pointing to budget cuts and resource issues as significant obstacles in battling the wildfires.

Subscribe to uInterview’s free weekly email for the latest news & exclusive videos!

Let us know what you think of the story in the comments below – join the conversation!