Mayor Bass Issues Statement Following Passing of Labor and Civil Rights Leader Kent Wong

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Bass today issued the following statement:

"Los Angeles has lost one of its greatest champions for justice. I am deeply saddened by the loss of Kent Wong, an esteemed educator, an attorney and advocate for working families of color across Los Angeles. Kent Wong's passing leaves a profound void in our city's labor movement and civil rights community.

"Kent understood that Los Angeles's strength lies in its working people. As founding president of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, he ensured that Asian American workers - so often invisible - stood at the forefront of labor's future. His work advancing immigrant rights, his partnership with Rev. James Lawson Jr. on nonviolent social change, and his tireless advocacy for fair wages and humane working conditions embodied the very best of what Los Angeles aspires to be.

"For over three decades as Director of the UCLA Labor Center, Kent transformed countless lives - from immigrant workers to students discovering their purpose in the fight for justice. He didn't just teach about organizing; he built movements that reshaped our city. Most recently, Kent organized a Non-violent Civil Disobedience training for 1,400 labor and community leaders, rising to lead in these tumultuous times.

"I have known Kent for decades and I am honored to have called him my friend and to have worked alongside him to advance social and economic justice. His legacy lives on in the Labor Centers across the UC system, in the thousands of organizers he mentored, and in every worker who stands a little taller because Kent Wong believed in them.

"My heart is with Kent's family, friends, students and colleagues. May we all seek to embody Kent's commitment to equity and justice and his dogged compassion for others."