Homeless Gain Another Advocate

The homeless were invited to join celebrities Wednesday night as guests converged at the California Afro-American Museum in Exposition Park for the inaugural event of a new group calling itself Artists Against Homelessness. After a reception that showcased artworks by the homeless, an entertainment program followed, featuring skits, poetry, speeches, songs and dramatic readings.

AAH is the latest Hollywood-based organization to declare that homelessness is not good. How does it differ from other groups? “We include homeless people on our board of directors,” said co-founder Tom Boyd. “We are not a political organization, but a consciousness-raising organization,” added Bill Duke, who directed the show.

Among the crowd: Danny Glover, Louis Gossett Jr., Kate Mulgrew, Katey Sagal, Ana Alicia, Rita Coolidge, Beverly Todd, Taurean Blacque, Rain Pryor and Bonnie Bramlett.

“If you want to know what’s going on with the homeless, ask me,” said D. J. Walker, a homeless man who addressed the crowd, adding, “When you all leave here, you’re going home.”

Organizers claimed that, unlike other groups, they were welcoming the homeless. They backed it up by taking donations instead of selling tickets and by not serving an embarrassingly lavish buffet. Limousines were conspicuously absent as well.

Everyone may be equal, but there was still a separate celebrity entrance, and guest Gerry Power complained of being asked to move when he tried to sit down in an unmarked seat--seems he strayed into a celebrity-only area.