Who Is A’Lelia Walker? The Legendary Harlem Socialite Known For Her Epic Parties

While the term "safe space" is thrown around in a derogatory manner these days, real safe spaces for the queer community were needed at the time of A'Lelia's reign - and she quite literally provided them.

Her parties were known to let people be themselves. Although it's not documented whether or not A'Lelia herself was queer, Harlem renaissance dancer Mabel Hampton once recalled of her events, "There was men and women, women and women, and men and men, and everyone did whatever they wanted to do."

In the book Gay New York, historian George Chauncey wrote, "Gay social networks played a key role in fostering the Renaissance," including "the extravagant 'mixed' parties thrown by the millionaire heiress A'Lelia Walker."

Using parties to change the world? A'Lelia was definitely our kind of woman.