Marquita Thomas is a speaker with her own TED talk, she is an award-winning marketing and brand consultant and an event developer who knows her way around Hollywood.  She is the owner of Out and About events.  Deeply understating the world of marketing, pr, creating tv, radio and multimedia campaigns as well as red carpet even productions, Marquita walks the red carpet every day.  As a leader in her community, she is running for West Hollywood City Council and is currently the Executive Director of the Los Angles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.  

What You Will Hear:

• Marquita’s upbringing before coming to Los Angeles.
• Going to parochial school and cleaning to pay off her tuition.
• Marquita’s determination to go to Occidental College.
• Humility and tenacity.
• The impact the Rodney King beatings on Marquita.
• How being a public persona has impacted Marquita’s personal journey.
• Clarifying “coming out”.
• Being on the planning commission.
• Affordable housing for marginalized communities.
• Inclusionary procurement.
• Thriving minority businesses.
• The pillars of Marquita's campaign for the West Hollywood City Council.
• Mental health crisis awareness.
• The most important thing to know about Marquita.
• Change the narrative by filling the gap and getting involved.

Quotes:

“I lived in red states for 17 years.  I moved to West Hollywood and within 4 months I got called the N world for the first time in my life.”

“Racism is a societal problem.”

“If you have more businesses run communities of color they’d be more inclusionary.”

“Until all of us are free, none of us are free.”

Mentioned:

Marquita4Weho.com