Farmworker Justice commemorates 40 year anniversary and retirement of Bruce Goldstein with virtual event

(Washington, D.C.) – The virtual Farmworker Justice 40th Anniversary Celebration of Achievement & Tribute to Bruce Goldstein, President – 33 years of service to Farmworkers took place on December 16, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The event celebrated both the achievements of the organization over its four decades of advocacy as well as that of Bruce Goldstein, president of Farmworker Justice, who is retiring at the end of this year after spending 33 of his 41 years of being an attorney at the organization. 

Since its founding in 1981, FJ has been committed to advancing the farmworker agenda by suing employers and government agencies that violate the law, pressuring legislators to ban harmful pesticides and pass job safety protections, blocking harmful immigration initiatives and advocating for positive reform, providing training and other resources to farmworkers and their organizations, educating the public, and more. The virtual event, hosted by Bel Hernandez, CEO and founder of Latin Heat Media, acknowledged the strides Farmworker Justice has made in securing farmworker rights while looking forward to the years to come.

Bruce Goldstein began his journey with Farmworker Justice in 1988 as a staff attorney focusing on high-impact  litigation. Since then, he has worked tirelessly for farmworkers to support farmworker organizing, reform government policies, train other legal professionals, educate the public about the solutions to farmworkers’ challenges, improve corporate responsibility, and build Farmworker Justice.  

Executive Director of La Cooperativa Campesina and FJ board member, Marco Lizarraga, remarked, “It goes without saying that Bruce’s impact has been meaningful and far-reaching – touching the lives of countless farmworker families and agricultural communities. But beyond even that, Bruce has left a lasting impression on all of his friends and colleagues – inspiring us to continue FJ’s fight, with professionalism and dignity.” Farmworker Justice thanks Bruce for his decades of service and wishes him well in his retirement.

Notable speakers and guests included Annie Gonzalez, actor from Netflix’s “Gentefied” and Eva Longoria Baston’s upcoming film, “Flamin’ Hot,” and Pepe Serna from “Scarface” as well as “Flamin’ Hot,” who provided a dramatic reading of a poem about farmworkers. Oscar Gonzales, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration, also gave remarks as the main advisor on farmworkers to Secretary Vilsack. Charles Kamasaki, Senior Cabinet Advisor for UnidosUS and author of “Immigration Reform: The Corpse That Will Not Die” represented UnidosUS, a longtime collaborator of FJ’s, as a key sponsor for the event.

Another highlight included the “Children’s Vaccine Song” which educates kids and their parents about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine in protecting children, available in both Spanish and English. Through a series of compilation videos, including Members of Congress and leaders of advocacy organizations, the audience was able to glimpse some of the struggle, growth and triumphs of the organization over the past 40 years.

If you missed the livestream of the virtual event, a playback is still available at Farmworker Justice’s YouTube channel. Stay updated on Farmworker Justice on Twitter at @FarmwrkerJustice and with the hashtag #HandsThatFeedUs. 

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Farmworker Justice is a national advocacy organization for farmworkers. FJ founded in 1981 is based in Washington, D.C. and collaborates with organizations throughout the country to empower farmworkers to improve their wages, working conditions, occupational safety, health, immigration status and access to justice.  For more information visit the Farmworker Justice website at www.farmworkerjustice.org and follow on Twitter at @FarmwrkrJustice.

 

Media Contact: 

BA Snyder

Veritas Group for Farmworker Justice

512.630.6337

BA@TheVeritasWay.com