Skid Row Talent Show Gives Homeless Performers a Stage in Los Angeles

In the heart of Los Angeles' Skid Row, a small makeshift stage became a spotlight for a dozen performers who are homeless or have experienced homelessness. The event on Saturday is believed to be the neighborhood's first talent show.

Deoujahne Darc, 26, wearing shiny heels, a thrifted dress and a red rose in her hair, sang an original song with the refrain "I saw the Lord in the face of a homeless man" as the crowd swayed. For Darc, the performance was a chance to share her music and inspire others who have faced similar struggles. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she became homeless in Oregon after a troubled relationship and returned to California with help from a domestic violence shelter. She spent more than a year and a half on the streets and in a women's shelter before finding stable housing. The green dress she wore was one of the first items she bought with a friend at a Goodwill after arriving at a shelter, she said, comparing the moment to a mermaid learning to walk on land. Darc, who has been singing since age 4 and has self-produced seven albums, performed "Grace & Mercy" to convey that everyone deserves compassion.

Ladelle Handy, 45, danced and sang an original song in a leather jacket over a blazer, drawing cheers and hugs from friends. He grew up dancing in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles a decade ago to pursue music, but has been homeless since an eviction in February. During his time on Skid Row, he said, he fell into drug use and depression and was unsure he would perform because things were not going well. Energized by the other acts, he took the stage and dedicated his performance to his mother, who was killed in Chicago in 2001. "Showcasing my gift that is a God-given talent, I know I have it," Handy said. "I just wanted to make sure that the world remembers that I have it."

Other performers sang or rapped their own compositions, read Scripture, or covered a rap song in memory of a friend lost to gun violence. The mood shifted with a lively rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Some passersby stopped only for food, while others stayed to clap or sing along. Outside, a fight broke out — a common occurrence in the area — but the performers inside the church seemed not to notice. Near an entrance decorated with white-and-gold balloons, trash bags and cardboard boxes piled up on a corner, and a man slept through the commotion on a pile of cushions, escaping the heat in the building's shade.

The event was organized by Rev. Gary Carr, who leads a weekly service at Lifeway Church in the area. Carr said he wanted to show that residents have more to offer than Skid Row's reputation suggests. "People give up on the disenfranchised, thinking that they're worthless," he said. "They have value, and through the talent show today you can see — it's a life story there, it's a struggle." The idea came together with a sister church that helped sponsor the event, building on the popularity of another local pastor's weekly open mic. Winners will meet regularly to develop their talents and prepare a performance for Easter. "This is an avenue to a new beginning," Carr said.

Carr, 69, said he was homeless for nearly 30 years, cycling between the streets and prison, before being called into the ministry in 2009. He later worked at the Union Rescue Mission, one of the city's oldest shelters, while many of his friends remained homeless. "These people really know me, they knew me when I'm at my worst," he said. "And they know what the Lord has done in my life."

Skid Row, in downtown Los Angeles, has one of the largest homeless encampments in the United States, with approximately 45,000 homeless people this year. The several dozen blocks of tents and debris sit just a few blocks from upscale restaurants, office skyscrapers and tourist destinations.