Some days remind you why you do the work. Sunday, November 1, was one of them.
We spent the day in Oakland’s Fruitvale District at the 31st annual Día de los Muertos Festival, presented by The Unity Council and Councilmember Noel Gallo. Pacific Workers and Tu Lucha, our Spanish-language community program, were proud to be there as sponsors.
The first thing you noticed was her. A 34-foot La Catrina, handcrafted in Mexico City, arms wide open over Fruitvale Village. It was the perfect welcome for a festival whose theme says it all: La Lucha Continúa: Aquí Estamos y No Nos Vamos. The struggle continues. We are here, and we’re not leaving.
Our booth was our living room for the day. Co-founder Bilal Kassem was there too, because showing up in person is part of how we work.
And people came. Workers, parents, grandparents and kids stopped by to say hello, grab a bilingual workers’ rights guide and ask the questions they don’t always get to ask.
Leading the way was attorney Yuvanna M. Diaz, the voice of Tu Lucha in our community. She speaks the language, knows the jobs and fights for Latino workers who get hurt on the job. She spent the day offering free, confidential legal guidance with one message: you never have to go through a workplace injury in silence or fear.
Carmen Ramírez was right there with her, listening to stories, answering questions and making sure everyone felt at home.
Then the music started, the dancers took over and the whole street moved together. That’s what this day is about: honoring where we come from and standing up for the people who keep California moving.
Thank you to The Unity Council, Councilmember Noel Gallo and everyone who stopped by. See you next year, Fruitvale. La lucha continúa. 💛