Shellye Davis
Template:TOCnestleft Shellye Davis
2020 Amistad awards
December 2020, from the moment the dramatic African drumming and slide show of the marches, rallies, car caravans, strikes, and election campaigns began, it was certain this would be an extraordinary and uplifting People's World Amistad Awards program.
Transformed from a large in-person statewide annual event into a virtual concert and awards, the program, “United for the World We Want—Celebrating Resilience, Solidarity, and Vision,” was held “in tribute to essential workers and all workers regardless of immigration status during the pandemic, the rise of the movement for Black lives, and the voter upsurge for democratic rights.”
The four awardees, each reflecting consistent and powerful organizing for worker rights, equality, and social justice, inspired participants with their live remarks as they received the large framed Amistad poster. The famed BODOMA Garifuna Culture Band, meanwhile, kept the spirit going with musical entertainment.
Jan Hochadel, president of AFT Connecticut and executive vice president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, received the Award from former awardee Shellye Davis, who serves with her on the AFT executive board. Davis said, “Jan offered leadership with grace under fire” and “fearlessness and courage” during the pandemic.
Hochadel shared the extreme challenges that her union, which represents educators, health care workers, and public workers has confronted during the pandemic, including a successful strike at Backus Hospital for protective gear and worker safety.
“We are fighting the good fight because we have amazing members,” said Hochadel. “This pandemic has made our national crises of health, the economy, and inequities impossible to ignore.
“We can’t go back to taking health care workers for granted. We must have a health care system that removes profits and is based on the needs of the community, not shareholders,” she said, continuing, “We can’t go back to austerity. How about a progressive tax structure so the lowest paid workers are not bearing the burden of keeping the economy going?
“The way things used to be are not good enough,” said Hochadel, citing institutional racism in voting and all aspects of life, and calling on participants to “be part of a social movement that refuses that normal and demands change and justice. We can win that fight,” she concluded.
100th Anniversary
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Rochelle Palache accepted an award during the People’s World Amistad Awards hosted on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party USA.