[dropcap size=big]R[/dropcap]oughly one hundred volunteers, activists, musicians and residents of Skid Row got together for the annual Walk the Talk Parade, hosted by the Los Angeles Poverty Department in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.
Since launching in 1985 the LAPD has promoted the arts as a tool to help the homeless and in 2012 they started Walk the Talk to honor members of their community that give people a voice. This year’s honorees included LA Philharmonic violinist and advocate Vijay Gupta, former resident of the notorious Frontier Hotel (now known as the Rossyln Lofts) turned activist Steve Diaz, Skid Row podcaster Bobby Buck and more.
The impressive Street Symphony marching ensemble had many residents of Skid Row on their feet, dancing in the streets with noticeable smiles on their faces while others reminisced about New Orleans jazz or their former days as an artist. This event draws attention to the massive amount of talent and diversity that resides in Skid Row. Gupta, who founded the Street Symphony in 2012, described the artistic community in Skid Row during his acceptance speech passionately as, “the most resilient artistic community in the country today.”
The close-knit group of supporters worked through technical difficulties and 80-degree full sun in high spirits. Walk the Talk speaks to the integrity of the people that live in Skid Row and shows the rest of Los Angeles that there is community and talent east of Broadway.
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