Mayor Eric Garcetti for #SheDoes
Posted by Mel Tillekeratne on Thursday, April 26, 2018
A Major Milestone
We started with a vision. A vision this city didn’t have. A vision we had this city adopt because you pushed it. Because you hurt when you saw our women suffering on our streets & nothing was being done. When everyone else had lost hope you didn’t. You said #SheDoes. You screamed #SheDoes Deserve Shelter & Protection. You came to the candlelight vigils, you cried. You came to our protest at the Mayor’s prayer breakfast. You came to speak at the City & County. You didn’t just speak, you cried too. And then, then people started listening. They didn’t just hear you, you gave them the courage to say #SheDoes. You gave them hope! You showed them a vision of Los Angeles without women suffering on our streets.
Now we all have a vision.
But a vision alone isn’t enough. We have to make sure these shelters open so we get all our homeless women off our streets. That is our victory. Today is a major milestone but our true victory is the day that when one of our mothers, grandmas, sisters or daughters needs somewhere to go, that there’s a safe and comfortable place waiting. A place she will find help whether it be mental healthcare, substance abuse treatment, job placement or housing.
Our real battles lie ahead. We must make sure from community hearings, to county hearings to even state hearings in Sacramento, that we are there to scream #SheDoes! Today we found a strong ally in Mayor Eric Garcetti. If we keep posting #SheDoes and showing up at these hearings, we are sure to win!
Thank you to Claudia Perez and everyone at L.A. on Cloud9 for being there from the start. To Paul Avila & Pauly’s Project & Maike Both & A Million Drops. Thank you to Carlos Marroquin for your guidance and the support of the Bernie Sanders Brigade. To California For Progress, @Metoo March International & March And Rally Los Angeles. To Sage James & Gavin Pierce for bringing the support of March for Our Lives.
Thank you to Mayor Eric Garcetti for saying #SheDoes & joining our movement today.
We have a long way to go but now our future looks bright! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you for never losing hope & never giving up!
Thank you for being the Change!
Mel