|
1
FLOC hosts convention, march, rally, and banquet with poet and author Sandra Cisneros
The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) hosted its 10th constitutional convention at SeaGate Centre last Saturday, Sept. 30 in Toledo. FLOC also celebrated its 20th anniversary of the Campbell Soup Victory.
Issues addressed included: immigration reform, HB 6061, HB 4437, Ohio HB 654, and other harsh immigration bills introduced by Republican lawmakers.
According to Velásquez, there is tremendous concern among Latinos of a variety of bills in both the U.S. House, Senate, and Ohio legislatures that violate a variety of civil rights of Latinos.
Speakers included poet and author Sandra Cisneros, AFL-CIO Presient John Sweeney, Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, and FLOC President Baldemar Velásquez.
A Victory March from SeaGate to the Lucas County Courthouse on Adams Street followed the convention. The march included Latino veterans, some 500 convention delegates, and other supporters of FLOC and immigration reform.
A rally took place from 5:00-6:00PM on the south side of the Courthouse, with inspirational speeches by a variety of politicians and movement organizers from Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati.
Rubén Castilla Herrera of Columbus helped organized the march, along with Beatriz Maya of FLOC.
A FLOC Victory Banquet at SeaGate concluded the festivities, with guest speakers Sandra Cisneros and Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr., president of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago.
|
