Activists, artists among 8 named to California Hall of Fame

Eight Californians known for their activism, artistry and historic achievements were inducted into the California Hall of Fame in an event that mixed celebratory glitz and glamor with calls for greater attention to global issues like climate change.

The class was the last selected by Gov. Brown, another pioneering Californian who leaves office in January after serving a record four terms. He joked after walking the red carpet that he wouldn't have thought to create such an event, a tradition begun by his predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.

Brown joked before introducing musician and activist Joan Baez, "I like things a little lower key I'm a minimalist and this isn’t a minimal kind of event."

Baez used the stage to read a poem she wrote about California's destructive wildfires and to call attention to global climate change.

Baez was inducted alongside Robert Redford; baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela; scientist and mountaineer Arlene Blum; journalist Belva Davis; restaurateur Thomas Keller; former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee; and a political adviser to Brown and other Democrats, Nancy McFadden. Lee and McFadden were honored posthumously.