Grace swayed to the music as her family joined her at the podium. Bass tones blasted, and then Jeffrey Osborne's baritone serenaded the crowd, turning Grace's feelings into song. Silver globes, reminiscent of the disco decade, glittered from the high ceilings as strobes swept rainbow meteors across the room. We must work hard to make the Eighteenth District of Los Angeles a model community, an example for the nation.' She paused for just a moment. 'I thank you for your commitment, but remember, this is the beginning. We will provide solutions to the challenges of drugs and teenage pregnancy.' Another eruption of applause. 'We will address the questions that are important to you. We're going to begin with morals and ethics.' Minutes passed before she was able to continue through the applause. 'I will fulfill my campaign promises - the most important being that our children receive the education they deserve. Eager faces stared back at her, and she cleared her throat.

Out of more than two hundred people in the room, she knew fewer than fifty. She shook her head to dislodge those thoughts. She scanned the quieting crowd for unfamiliar eyes. Grace turned toward her constituents as the cheers faded. Jayde, her fifteen year old, raised her thumb in the air. Next to him stood their daughters, whose smiles matched the ones in the crowd. I want to serve the people of the Eighteenth District - you, who with your confidence and countless dedicated hours have elected me today as your councilwoman.'Ī roar reverberated through the room. 'Thank you, but my focus is not on the mayor's office. She motioned with her hands to quiet her supporters.

Grace Monroe smiled into the crowd of rainbow faces. 'You forgot the first black female mayor,' a woman bellowed above the noise. Thunderous applause exploded inside the Biltmore's Colonnade Room.

'You're going to be the first female mayor of Los Angeles!'

Joy by Victoria Christopher Murray