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Torrance City Council member Bridget Lewis reflects on breaking barriers, urges mentorship during Black History Month
Summary
Torrance City Council member Bridget Lewis said she became the city’s first Black woman elected to the council after serving on the civil service commission and being appointed to a seat; she described that milestone and her role as a homeland security manager at the Port of Long Beach while urging students to seek mentors.
Torrance City Council member Bridget Lewis said she became the first Black woman elected to the Torrance City Council after a contentious appointment process and a successful 2024 election, and she used remarks during Black History Month to encourage students to seek mentors and consider public service.
"I never thought that I would get into the political realm," Lewis said, describing a two-year path from being encouraged to apply for an open seat to being awarded that seat and then elected in 2024. She told the audience she had previously served six years on the city’s civil service commission.
Lewis said the current council is the most diverse the city has had, with all seven seats, including the mayor’s, held by people of different backgrounds and nationalities. "It means that we have gotten to a place where everyone is accepted," she said, adding that her experience carries a responsibility to show others how they can follow a similar path.
She also described breaking additional barriers outside city government. Lewis said she is the first woman and the first Black person to hold her position as homeland security manager for the Port of Long Beach, which she described as "the largest seaport complex in the United States." She said the two career paths — elected office and homeland security — have connected in ways she had not anticipated.
Speaking at an event she described as taking place "at El Camino" during Black History Month, Lewis focused on outreach to students who "may not be sure which direction they wanna go for their careers." She recounted teachers and counselors who once questioned whether she should pursue college and urged students to consider different paths and to seek mentors.
"Ask for the mentor. Ask for the friend. Ask for the advice," Lewis said. "Some of the best advice that I've ever gotten was unsolicited from people that I was afraid to ask for advice from. So find that person that you can talk to."
The remarks were presented as personal reflections and advice; no formal council actions or votes were recorded in the transcript of this item.
