With the same spirit, passion and pride that guided Los Angeles political pioneer Gloria Molina, who died on May 14th, Angelenos gathered at the downtown LA Plaza de Cultura y Arts to remember her legacy on Saturday 15 of July More than 100 of Molina’s friends, family, students and colleagues gathered for a “Celebration of Life.”
“We all know that she was the first to achieve so many political feats,” said Molina’s daughter, Valentina Martinez. “I knew her as my mother, and she raised me to be as combative as she was.”
“This is a way to bring many of us together,” US Rep. Maxine Waters told this newspaper. “I want everyone to know that there was no place I would rather be today. I couldn’t be at an appointment or in DC I had to be here to honor her service. She was a staunch advocate and dear to my heart.”
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told the crowd, “She understood that happiness is not just personal, it’s a byproduct of improving your community.” LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis spoke of his toughness, saying, “He wasn’t afraid of a fight. He fought for all of us, regardless of your socioeconomic background.”
Molina died of cancer at age 74, after a groundbreaking decades-long career in politics and public service.
“(Gloria Molina) filled many roles. She was a loving mother, an inspiring artist and a role model for so many of us,” said Leticia Buckley, CEO of LA Plaza. “She exemplified the meaning of by, for and with community.” Molina helped to create LA Plaza de Cultura i Arts, a Mexican-American museum and cultural center.
Many lawmakers, including former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, say Molina’s hard work and inspiring “firsts” pushed them into politics.
“She was the reason I started,” Villaraigosa said. “I was a student leader and community activist, and when it came to elected office, she got me started. She was the gold standard of integrity.”
For Solís, Molina was a partner in the struggle for the economic, educational and political progress of the neglected groups of Los Angeles. Solís fondly noted Molina’s organizing against a prison in East Los Angeles in the 1980s and his quest to increase Latino representation in politics.
“He was always in government and at the service of other people,” Solís said. “She was a Latin organizer. She was our vocation.”
Molina achieved many political milestones. She became the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly in 1982. She was the first Latina elected to the Los Angeles City Council when she won her election in 1987. In 1991, she was the first Latina elected to the Los Angeles County Board. Supervisors, where he served until reaching the board’s term limit in 2014.
Saturday evening’s “Celebration of Life” event wasn’t just for mourners. It was a celebration of Molina and her community, with live music performed by Mexico’s Mariachi Sol, bright purple and white floral decorations and heartwarming jokes told about Molina’s heart and persistence.
Molina was a passionate painter and quilter. It is with this memory of Molina in mind that LA Plaça de Cultura i Arts began to create the “Community Hope Quilt”. The quilt is made up of fabric squares decorated by attendees at various events, including Saturday’s memorial.
The vibrant tapestry will be on display at the LA Plaza de Cultura y Arts museum through mid-August, allowing Angelenos to honor Molina’s impact and be creative through writing and drawing.
During the memorial, organizers showed the audience a video focusing on his impact on the arts.
On Saturday, LA Plaza Board President Andy Carrasco announced that the Plaza’s teaching kitchen will be renamed after Molina, naming it La Cocina de Gloria Molina.
Molina’s relatives, with tears, smiles and personal anecdotes, spent the evening honoring Molina. Two of her nieces sang “Gracias a la vida” to celebrate Molina’s life, and received a standing ovation from the audience.
“Gloria was a beacon of strength and perseverance,” said Molina’s husband, Ron Martinez. “It was in his DNA and he wanted to change the world.”
