Biography
Early Life
Brittany “Bree” Newsome Bass is an artist, writer, and global activist who is most known for removing the confederate flag from the front lawn grounds of the South Carolina State House in 2015.
She was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 13, 1985, to loving parents who fostered an environment that cultivated a passion for African American history, education, and artistic expression.
Her father is a religious studies scholar who served as the Dean of Howard University’s School of Divinity among other prestigious appointments, while her mother impacted the lives of children as an accomplished educator.
Bree was awarded the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences scholarship, which she used at New York University in the Tisch School of the Arts.
Among a host of prestigious achievements, Newsome directed “Wake,” a short film that won the National Board of Review Student Film Award and the BET Best Short Film award.
Social Activism
Newsome’s involvement with public protests began with her participation in the Occupy Wall Street Movement during her appointment as the Saatchi & Saatchi Artist in Residence.
When asked about becoming an activist in a History Channel conversation with civil rights icon Diane Nash, Newsome stated, “It wasn’t that I said to myself, OK, I’m going to be an activist. It was that I witnessed an injustice…And I said I need to take action.”
The horrendous white supremacist attack on Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina (often referred to as the Charleston Massacre) that took nine innocent lives made an impact on Newsome. She became involved with a team of activists that planned to publicly remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House grounds.
Religious Influence
Her faith was central to her activism. In June, after climbing to the top of the flag pole, she called out, “I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today!”
On her way back down she recited the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 27 which begins “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear (NKJV)?” In her official statement to Blue Nation Review, she proclaimed,
“I removed the flag not only in defiance of those who enslaved my ancestors in the southern United States but also in defiance of the oppression that continues against black people globally in 2015… I did it for all the fierce black women on the front lines of the movement and for all the little black girls who are watching us. I did it because I am free.”
Change Leader
After her heroic act, Newsome has become an international symbol of social justice.
Organizations have acknowledged her outstanding commitment to social justice, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People which awarded her their 2016 Chairman’s Award.
Bree Newsome Bass continues to inspire people across the world with her story. She has become a heralded public speaker and remains committed to activism as an advocate for justice.
Her tweet from March 26, 2018, reflects how she sees her legacy:
“Whenever I die, please don’t allow my image to be co-opted by the power establishment. Don’t let my name & likeness be used to argue for peace in the absence of justice. I believe uncompromisingly in the liberation of the black, poor, and oppressed from systems of white supremacy.”
