00:02I would like to introduce a very special guest, someone who I call my
00:07friend and I work with very closely. She also happens to be the mayor of this
00:12great city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass!
00:26Thank you Councilman and congratulations to you. Well let me just see I heard two
00:32words to describe you today. Now one was lion and the other one was grace. Well I
00:38want to add my two cents into that because when I think of you I think of
00:43the stature in which you present yourself and the dignified manner in which you
00:49represent. So those are my contributions and I'm sure there's many other words to
00:54describe you as a person and also your incredible talent. But also when I think
01:00about you maybe from a little different angle and that's the side and the
01:04contributions that you make to the community. So that's right that does
01:09these every round of applause because you don't have to do that with your very busy
01:14schedule all over the world. But I think about you as a supporter of the inner city
01:19Youth Orchestra of LA and you didn't just lend your name, you showed up. You performed
01:26alongside those young people and as I listened to our MC describe what an
01:32impact you had on her life and then I just can only imagine what impact you had
01:37on those young people in the orchestra who absolutely have an opportunity to see
01:43you and to see your support. But that same dedication to the art form brought you
01:49to the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center where you started an adaptation of Paul
01:54Robeson at the Ebony Theatre. Your portrayal was transformative not just for
02:00audiences but for the theatre itself. You brought the spotlight, the audience, and the
02:04critical attention to the vital cultural institution and affirming that world-class
02:10theatre lives right in our neighborhoods. Something else that you didn't have to do
02:15but is so significant when you show up and make that contribution. And when I think of
02:21Paul Robeson, Paul Robeson believed that artists have a responsibility to use their
02:26gifts in the service of people. And I know that you've lived that belief through every
02:32performance, every young musician and actor you encouraged, and every institution that
02:38you helped to elevate. So your talent and lifelong commitment to entertainment are the types
02:44of stories that motivate the work of this city, and my work in particular, to make sure that
02:50our film industry is strong, that we get those tax credits, that we lower the cost of filming
02:56in LA so we can return. But it's stories like yours and those who you portrayed on the screen
03:04and on the stage that have an impact and that move our culture forward. So today cements that
03:11legacy forever, and on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I also have a certificate to present
03:17to you. And I just hope you have all of the wall space for all of the honors that you
03:23are due.
03:24So I hope you, I hope you, I hope you, help you, even though you should.
03:28Okay.
03:33So
03:39to the audience.
03:43Yes!
03:44Whoo!
03:47Whoo!
03:50Whoo!
03:53Whoo!
03:56You can really stay up here, sir.
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