Mayor Bass Issues Statement Following the Passing of Former Los Angeles City Councilmember and Civil Rights Leader Billy G. Mills

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass July 6 issued the following statement on the passing of civil rights leader Billy G. Mills:

“Today, Los Angeles mourns the passing of Billy G. Mills, a trailblazing public servant, civil rights attorney, and jurist whose life helped shape the arc of justice and opportunity in our city. As the first Black graduate of the UCLA School of Law and the first Black man elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1963, alongside Tom Bradley, Mills broke barriers and helped open doors for generations of Angelenos.

“Judge Mills was born in Waco, Texas, and raised near a sundown town. He later built his career in Los Angeles while navigating segregation and racial intolerance, yet he refused to accept that reality as permanent. He devoted his life to advancing equal justice and helping build a fairer city.

“On the City Council, his dignified and thoughtful leadership guided Los Angeles through the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Uprising. His legacy endures in South LA, where he pushed for paved alleys and essential infrastructure in neighborhoods that had long been neglected. He later served as a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court and was known for his steady and unwavering commitment to fairness.

“Throughout his life in public service, Judge Mills shared his journey with his wife and life partner, Dr. Rubye Mills, herself a trailblazer, who preceded him in death. On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I extend my deepest condolences to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and to all who carry forward their legacy of service, dignity, and justice.”