SACRAMENTO – Speaker Karen Bass received one of this year’s prestigious Phoenix Awards from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) at its 38th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) awards dinner, on Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Speaker Bass was presented the Barbara Jordan Award by the Honorable James E. Clyburn (D-South Carolina) who serves as the third ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives as Majority Whip as well as the highest ranking African American in Congress. This distinguished award honors women who have excelled in providing extraordinary contributions as public servants.

“When the stakes are high, being entrusted with the responsibility to lead is as great an honor as it is a challenge. And for someone working hard to find new ways to meet our challenges, receiving a great honor like the Phoenix Award from the Congressional Black Caucus is a powerful inspiration to keep moving forward,” states Speaker Karen Bass.

Other 2008 awardees included Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president and the U.S. Senate’s only African-American member; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and New York Gov. David A. Paterson; actress and humanitarian Kerry Washington and Eleanor M. Josaitis, co-founder of Focus: HOPE, a civil and human rights organization in Detroit.

“The Phoenix Award recognizes those who through their efforts and accomplishments have made significant contributions to society, and it symbolizes the immortality of the human spirit and an eternal desire to reach its full potential,” said Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., the Foundation’s president and chief executive officer. “Our winners continue to inspire and we proudly honor them.”

More than 3,000 people were on hand at the star-studded event including many members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other VIPs and celebrities. Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, retired NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, served as the dinner’s co-hosts. Grammy Award-winning songstress Patti LaBelle performed three songs.

During the four-day conference, Speaker Bass also was honored as one of California’s Exceptional Women of Distinction by Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-California).

“These awards are great honors that I am proud to receive by the people who have served as pillars in our community for many years. I proudly stand on their shoulders to continue to ensure that we have a voice in the discussion. Together, we can work to shift the priorities of our nation and our nation’s treasure, so our communities and our states can have the resources needed to properly raise the next generation and to plant the seeds of both a strong economy and economic justice,” said Speaker Bass.

Speaker Karen Bass made history when the California Assembly elected the Los Angeles Democrat as its 67th Speaker, catapulting a Democratic woman to the post for the first time in the state’s history. Speaker Bass also made national history as the first African American woman to serve in this powerful state legislative role in the country.

Since taking office, the Los Angeles Democrat has made significant strides to bridge the disparity gaps in California. She commissioned the State of Black California Report that profiled the social and economic status of Black Californians. As a result she helped develop legislative and non-legislative proposals to address the issues that Blacks in California face. As the chair of the Select Committee on Foster Care, she led the efforts to secure more than $82 million, the most significant new investment in a decade, and helped enact new laws to improve the largest Foster Care System in the country.