The Mixer
Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race
Tom Bradley was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 1973 with a broad coalition of Jews, Latinos, Asian-Americans and other liberal white voters. A new documentary about Bradley chronicles his life, as the son of Texas sharecroppers and grandson to slaves, to LA Police Lieutenant and, later, City Councilmember and Mayor.
Tom Bradley was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 1973 with a broad coalition of Jews, Latinos, Asian-Americans and other liberal white voters. A new documentary about Bradley chronicles his life, as the son of Texas sharecroppers and grandson to slaves, to LA Police Lieutenant and, later, City Councilmember and Mayor. Alison Sotomayor co-produced the documentary Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race. Lorraine Bradley is Bradley’s oldest daughter and a retired physical education teacher. And Sherry Bebitch Jeffe is professor of public policy at USC and a political analyst for numerous media outlets, and has studied and taught extensively about Bradley. They spoke to KCRW's Steve Chiotakis.