Jewel Thais-Williams

#JewelThaisWilliams: She was once the owner of the #JewelsCatchOneDisco, one of the first black discos in the United States and one of the longest running black gay dance bars in #LosAngeles. Thais-Williams sought to become self-employed while earning her degree in history at #UCLA and worked as a maid, customer service representative, recreation director, probation attendant, deputy sheriff, and boutique owner (her first business, which did well until a recession hit in the early-1970s) before deciding to open a bar. Though she had no experience as a bartender or bar business skills (aside from the fact that California law at the time made it illegal for women to tend bar), she pressed on anyway and the bar opened in 1973. It quickly became a hit as a major stop for diverse performers and artists, including #Sylvester, #WhitneyHouston, #LutherVandross, #JanetJackson, #DonnaSummer, #WhoopiGoldberg, #RickJames, #SammyDavisJr., #WarrenBeatty, #MelbaMoore, #PhyllisHyman, #FredaPayne, #ChakaKhan, #TheWeatherGirls, #EstherPhillips and #Madonna. Over the years, attendance declined and eventually the bar was sold to Steve and Mitch Edelson, making it the last black-owned disco (renamed the Union, but then renamed Catch One). Thais-Williams managed to work on her Master of Science degree in Eastern Medicine in 1998 (while she still was running Catch One), and then helped found the non-profit #TheVillageHealthFoundation which worked to educate lower-income communities on nutrition, health, and wellness, as well as serving as a meeting space for political organizations. Thais-Williams and the Catch One have been featured in many television shows and documentaries, and Thais-Williams was the Grand Marshall of the 2016 Los Angeles Pride Festival. #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs