Heysoll Rodriguez
Heysoll Rodriguez Soto is a social justice grassroots advocate, born and raised in Puerto Rico. Before joining the NC Justice Center (HAP), she spent 14 years as an International Representative of a labor union, focusing on organizing, negotiation, and mobilization efforts. Prior to that, she spent a year as a liaison officer for the Global March Against Child Labour in India, under the guidance of Kailash Satyarthi, a 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Heysoll has worked with several local nonprofits supporting voter registration campaigns, fighting predatory landlords, and supporting policies against wage and housing violations.
Heysoll’s work has always been people and coalition-centered. She loves to serve as a bridge between people’s needs and organizations that are committed to justice and equality. Heysoll holds a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico. She is currently a board member of ProChoice North Carolina.[1]
Democratic Socialists of America
The 2010 Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Awards, sponsored by Boston Democratic Socialists of America, took place Tuesday, June 13, 6:30—8:30 P.M., at the Jamaica plain home of environmentalist Marcia Peters and David Karaus.
2010 honorees were "two champions of social justice and grassroots democracy: Georgia Hollister Isman and Jack Clark". Honorary Co-Chairs for the event were MA AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes and State Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), with special guest Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston).[2]
Georgia Hollister Isman was presented by Andrea Miller of NARAL and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, who livened up her introduction by bursting into song.
After being introduced by MA AFL-CIO Vice-President Ed Collins and Janet Boguslaw from Brandeis University, Jack Clark "entertained and informed us with a brief tour of U.S. Socialist history".
Others who attended or sponsored the event included Rep. Frank Smizik, Somerville Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, and recently elected President of the Washington, DC chapter of Red Sox Nation Eleanor LeCain, "our perennial MC, Julie Johnson", Mike Schippani (UAW-Detroit); Shaw’s striker Juan Garcia and UFCW staffer Heysoll Rodriguez.[3]