SOMOS: Service, solidarity and strategy

It was total immersion at this year's SOMOS, the annual Puerto Rico power gathering of New York legislators and other elected officials, unionists, civic groups and political activists. From a professional development bootcamp with more than 200 college students to a book giveaway for children, the event combined community service with panel discussions, workshops and receptions designed for networking around progressive policies for the territory of Puerto Rico, New York City and the state of New York.

Called El Momento es Nuestro: Rise, Build, Reimagine, the conference attracted some 4,000 people, including members of the United Federation of Teachers (New York City), New York State United Teachers, the Public Employees Federation (New York) and the Professional Staff Congress (faculty and staff at the City University of New York), as well as Puerto Rico's Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, another AFT affiliate.

Learning all around

The AFT sponsored four legislative sessions. One, featuring AFT President Randi Weingarten and NYSUT President Melinda Person, explored how to use artificial intelligence to enhance, not replace, the human connections that define teaching and learning. The session also covered ways to ensure that Latino communities are empowered by innovation, rather than left behind by it.

UFT Vice President Mary Vaccaro and New York City Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos joined Goldie Hawn of the MindUP program in another session on how mindfulness and neuroscience-based strategies are transforming classrooms and supporting student and educator well-being.

Two sessions addressed the crackdown on immigrant communities in the United States. Weingarten joined PSC First Vice President Jen Gaboury and two New York assemblymembers for "Education, Not Deportation," a panel on how educators and policymakers can work together to ensure that schools are safe, inclusive learning environments, despite growing immigration enforcement and anti-immigrant rhetoric. They shared essential resources like the AFT's Immigrant and Refugee Children Guide and underscored the need to preserve the law-established by Plyler v. Doe-that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to attend school.

PSC Secretary Andrea Vásquez took immigration activism further as she described how her union has fought the crackdown by defending due process for immigrants. You can read more about how PSC members have been showing up for justice at the immigration court in New York City, supporting people snared in an impossible system of detention and deportation right outside the courthouse doors.

Workers together, NYC to PR

Weingarten and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus both addressed the event known as the "labor breakfast," sponsored by the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. They were joined by newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul as the group described the strong ties between New York City and Puerto Rico (known as the sixth borough of the city) and the indelible connections among workers everywhere, fighting for respect, justice and a robust democracy.

Another important connection between Puerto Rico and the United States was strengthened when Grupo 21, a group advocating for stateside leaders of Puerto Rican descent, gave Weingarten its Hermana Award for her solidarity with the Puerto Rican community. From hurricane relief to crucial support for teachers and schools both on the mainland and on the island, Weingarten has been a steadfast friend to the island and its people. Other award winners were former Puerto Rico Gov. Sila María Calderón and University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez.

Perhaps the liveliest events of the five-day conference were the AFT-sponsored community service sessions. More than 100 volunteers signed up to plant trees and install swing sets at an elementary school and distribute thousands of bilingual books and backpacks filled with school supplies. There was also a food giveaway, with 250 bags filled with groceries going out to families experiencing food insecurity.

At a second event, Weingarten, DeJesus and AFT Vice President and AMPR President Victor Bonilla delivered a $5,000 contribution to El Comedor de la Kennedy, a nonprofit kitchen that serves more than 2,000 children, 3,000 elders and 700 college students every week, and distributes more than 3.5 million pounds of food monthly. AFT leaders toured the facility and met with the iconic Chef Iván Clemente, who founded the center.

"This is what I mean about bringing people together and doing the acts of love," said Weingarten during the community service events. "This is about love thy neighbor. This is about embracing the stranger. This is about community coming together, and that is who the AFT is."

[Virginia Myers]