Numerous political leaders on Saturday attended the 15th annual New Jersey Conference on Dominican Affairs.
The Rutgers Institute for Latino Studies hosted the event in Newark to address those issues impacting New Jersey’s fastest growing Hispanic population.
Joining Nestor and Maria Teresa Montilla, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, NYS Senator and Mayor of Union City Brian Stack, LLANJ President Martin Perez, Freeholder Tilo Rivas, Paterson Councilman Alex Mendez, Economist Luis Abinader, Candidate for President of the Dominican Republic, Nestor Montilla, Sr, Amiris Perez, CODA Executive Director, Professor Alejandro Benjamin, Antonio Martinez, Dr. Jo Renee Fine from AJC, Sarah Levinson from AJC, Carlos Cruz, Paul Perez, Fred Price, Linda Gallashaw, Al Moody, Dr. Carlos Fernandez, and members of CODA staff. (Photo by Eduardo Hoepelman)
Baraka, Stack and Mendez all addressed the crowd.
New York City Councilmember Julissa Ferreras delived the keynote address.
“When I walk into a room the first thing people see is a black woman. And then the second thing they see is a woman. And then the third thing they see when they hear my accent is the Dominican woman,” Ferreras said. “And oftentimes those are the three barriers that say I can’t do or accomplish the things that I can accomplish in my life.”