November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Michelle Obama Speaks at Century Plaza Hotel in Century City

 

Michelle Obama spoke in Los Angeles over a two-day period.
Michelle Obama addressed the issue of homeless veterans in her speech in Century City yesterday.

The inability of veterans to find jobs is “unacceptable” in the United States, and the idea of even one veteran being homeless should “horrify all of us,” first lady Michelle Obama told a gathering of government and business leaders yesterday in Century City.

Speaking at a Unite for Veterans summit aimed at finding ways to boost employment and end homelessness among veterans, Obama hailed efforts by local businesses and Mayor Eric Garcetti to tackle problems facing veterans. But she said more work is needed from all levels of society to end those problems.

“After everything they have done for us, the idea that any of our veterans are spending months or event years struggling to find a job is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable,” she told the crowd at the Century Plaza Hotel. “And the image of even one of these heroes sleeping out in the cold, huddled up next to an overpass, that should horrify all of us. Because that’s not who we are.

“And the truth is we know that there are simple steps that we can take, whether that’s in business, government or in our communities, to prevent and solve these problems,” she said.

Obama, continuing a two-day swing through the Southland, noted that one out of every 10 homeless veterans in America lives in Los Angeles. But she hailed a commitment by Garcetti to end veteran homelessness by the end of next year.

“And I know that’s a big number, and make no mistake it is an aggressive goal,” she said. “But we have seen time and time again that if you break these numbers down, if you work on the ground with landlords to find open apartments, with developers to build new housing, if you rally community groups and congregations around this issue, then this problem becomes imminently solvable.”

She also hailed Garcetti’s 10,000 Strong initiative, aimed at finding jobs for 10,000 veterans by 2017.

“I really, really want to commend you for doing this the right way, because you’re not just talking about hiring these veterans, you’re talking about retaining them and giving them a chance to grow in the years ahead,” Obama said. “You’re including volunteers to work with veterans on their resumes, holding mock interviews. You’re focusing on good jobs, jobs in health care and entertainment, jobs in engineering, finance and so much more.”

After her speech, Obama mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and speaking with attendees at the Unite for Veterans Summit.

A short time later, Obama spoke at the Grammy Museum’s Jane Ortner Education Award Luncheon. The award honors educators who “find innovative ways to engage students by integrating music in their classrooms and curricula.”

This year’s honoree was Sunshine Cavalluzzi, a teacher at El Dorado High School in Placentia. She was recognized for what the museum called her “innovative economics lesson plans.” Six-time Grammy nominee Janelle Monae
was also honored for her “continued commitment to Grammy Museum educational programming.”

Obama told the crowd that when big-name musicians come to perform at the White House, they spend time leading workshops and mentoring sessions with young people.

“Thanks to your generosity, the Grammy Museum has flown nearly 1,000 students to Washington to visit the White house and take part in these programs, and thousands more have participated by video,” she said. “These young people have had so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences. They’ve explored soul music with Janelle Monae, learned about country music with Lyle Lovett, Darius Rucker, Kris Kristofferson. As you heard, the talked about Motown with Smokey Robinson and John Legend.

“I could go on and on,” she said. “These sessions are amazing.”

She pointed to students showing that kids who are involved in the arts have higher grades, graduation rates and college-enrollment rates.

“But today, as we honor your work to promote arts education and we recognize leaders like Sunshine and Janelle, we also need to be thinking about all the young people who will never have these opportunities in this country,” Obama said. “We need to be thinking about the 6 million children in this country who don’t have a single art or music class in their schools.”

On Tuesday, Obama took part in a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, speaking at a $5,000-a-person roundtable discussion at the home of Michael Lombardo, HBO’s president of programming, and his partner, architect Sonny Ward.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to return to Los Angeles next week for a pair of fundraisers. He is scheduled to attend an event at the home of “Scandal” creator Shonda Rhimes, with actress Kerry Washington co-hosting, on July 23. Tickets will range from $1,000 to $32,400.

The next day, the president is expected to attend a roundtable discussion with about 30 people at the home of Michael Rapino, CEO of Live Nation, with tickets costing $32,400 each.

Related Posts

The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

Election Day Freebies and Discounts: Where to Eat, Drink, and Watch Election Results

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

From Free Doughnuts To Watch Parties, How To Unwind With Election Night Deals With this election day being one of...

Early Morning Call From Community Leads to Burglary Arrest in Culver City

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Police Respond To Suspicious Activity Call, Arrest Suspect With Pickaxe Culver City police arrested a man early Friday morning in...

Culver City Police Department is Prepared to Ensure Community Safety During Election Week

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Enhanced Patrols, Activated Emergency Center Ready, Culver City Voting Center is Open The Culver City Police Department has announced an...

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...