Nancy Pelosi and Tracee Ellis Ross appeared in conversation on Aug. 15. (photo by Rance Collins)

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) commanded the audience at The Ebell of Los Angeles Aug. 15 in an extended one-on-one conversation with actress Tracee Ellis Ross. Pelosi promoted her new book, “The Art of Power,” which details stories from her tenure as the United States Speaker of the House.

“It’s all about respect,” Pelosi said when asked about her style of “power.”

“It’s about respect for the members. It’s for the public and what they expect of you. It’s respect for people who don’t agree with you,” she continued.

The discussion was part of the Writers Bloc Presents series, and the group’s founder Andrea Grossman was thrilled to welcome Pelosi to The Ebell.

“Speaker Emerita Pelosi is such a political rock star,” Grossman said. “She speaks truth to power and radiates commitment to the public good. She is, unquestionably, one of the most powerful and influential women in American political history. The audience recognized her accomplishments in moving transformative legislation forward – legislation that might never have passed had it not been for her advocacy. It was thrilling to host her, and wonderful to host her at the gorgeous and historic Wilshire Ebell Theater.”

Pelosi touched on some of the content in her book, which includes major events of the last two decades like the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. She previewed sections of “The Art of Power” where she discussed the intricacy of bringing the diverse Democratic party together.

“I was a weaver and a loom, and it was my goal to convince the members that every thread of our caucus was part of a beautiful tapestry. And sometimes we wouldn’t all agree and have unanimity, but we would always have consensus. So, if you are not part of the unanimity one day, tomorrow was another day when you might have a bill or a priority or something you wanted everyone else to join in. And so, it was a respect that everybody knew that even if they didn’t vote with us one day, we love them dearly, and that tomorrow was another day.”

She said she has one answer when asked what the most important issue is facing Congress.

“Our children, our children, our children – their health, their education, the economic security of their families, a safe environment with clean air, clean water, also safe from gun violence and a world at peace in which they could thrive,” she said. “You usually find common ground on the children … Because what is politics all about, anyway? The future.”

In between questions, moderator Ross did not hold back from showering Pelosi – once the most powerful woman in the country – with praise.

“As a member of the public, I am always grateful when the curtain is pulled back, and not just by anyone, but by a verified source, especially around some of the momentous events that we have experienced as a nation,” Ross said. “And to be able to have them unpacked with such clarity through the lens of service is really important, especially as we are on the year of this election.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, 1st District, were on hand to introduce Pelosi. Both served with her in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I was there during the years of that other guy,” Bass said. “The reason we made it through those four years is because of her … she had to figure out members of the cabinet she could work with to get things done. So, we are here today, our country is stable [because of her] – and we’re going to keep it that way … The leadership role that she played during those four years should be lifted up in our history.”

“She is one of [the] most consequential women in the national leadership history for all of us,” Solis said. “She was an ally and someone who always knew that helping other women was going to help everyone else. She never forgot that.”

The feelings were mutual, as Pelosi extolled each as powerful, capable lawmakers.

“It was my honor to serve with the mayor in Congress, and then all of us who saw her up close know how great she is in public service,” Pelosi said of Bass. “[And] my former colleague Hilda Solis … she was remarkable in the Congress and [in] President Obama’s cabinet.”

Pelosi offered insight into the current state of politics, especially in relation to her full throttled support of Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I’ve known [her] for decades,” she said. “She’s a person with deep faith, which she’s reflected in her sense of community and helping people … She’s very strong – strong in her knowledge, strong in her judgment, strong in her strategic thinking and again, eloquent in her presentation. You’ve seen that most recently with [her speaking on] a woman’s right to choose, but other issues certainly as well – global and domestic – [she’s] politically so astute. She’s won very difficult races along the way because she’s politically astute. So, I have every confidence that with her values and all that I described, Vice President Harris and Gov. [Tim] Walz, they will lead us to victory.”