Brayan Pagoada, youth organizer for Churches United For Fair Housing (CUFFH) and Make the Road New York member Sonia Castrejón, stage name Estrella Norteña, oversaw the introductions of the day’s speakers.

First, there was a moment of silence to honor the essential workers who passed away during the ongoing pandemic.

“We know that those are our community members and we care about and see them. They have been fighting to keep our communities safe, so we want to honor and celebrate their work,” Pagoada told Bushwick Daily.