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Los Angeles High Society is re-activated like never before; perhaps, it is because the city has never operated under the auspicious leadership of a woman as mayor. Harken back to the days of women’s clubs gathering in salons where they could speak freely yet discreetly, influential women have increasingly used their privilege to set the standard for women’s empowerment as norms changed. The reality of the issues facing the nation’s second largest city now calls for honesty from a society that can no longer ignore its proximity to the homeless crisis. Everyone is somehow affected regardless of class.
The Ebell of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization founded in 1894 by women for women hosted the Honorable Mayor Karen Bass as she participated in a fireside chat alongside Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated–an organization that boasts Madam Vice President Kamala Harris as a member. The intimate panel was facilitated by Sarah Dusseault, Co-Chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission on homelessness and a strategist with The Angeleno Project.
Thus far, more than 17,000 of those unhoused have been able to secure at minimum temporary housing. Since the Mayor was sworn in last December – roughly 1,600 of those unhoused have come inside through the Mayor’s Inside Safe initiative, a new citywide, voluntary approach that leads with housing and services and works to prevent encampments from returning. The Mayor also highlighted that more than more than 7,000 units of affordable housing have been expedited under her Executive Directive 1 and discussed how “Inside Safe” is the brainchild of Dr. Adams-Kellum.
The historic campus which includes the infamous Ebell Theatre opened its salon to discuss progress made toward housing the unsheltered and how Madam Mayor’s agenda is working across all levels of government with nonprofit organizations and the private sector to urgently confront the homelessness crisis. Confronting challenging conversations such as these are not to taboo at The Ebell where women are encouraged to convene in order to learn, create, collaborate, innovate and champion one another to transform the lives of women.
Since the 17th and 18th centuries the safe space of a salon–an informal education for women, where they were able to exchange ideas, receive and give criticism, read their own works and hear the works and ideas of other intellectuals–allowed many ambitious women to pursue a form of higher education. The atmosphere provided a vibrant and inclusive arts and culture hub that fosters the educational, cultural and social growth of women.
