The Black and Latino Caucus held their annual Latino Excellence Awards Ceremony at the State House on Friday.
BOSTON (WWLP) – The Black and Latino Caucus held their annual Latino Excellence Awards Ceremony at the State House on Friday.
The event featured a full slate of speakers and honored community leaders who are uplifting those around them in Massachusetts.
Representative Carlos Gonzalez spoke at the ceremony, focusing on the societal and economic contributions of the Latino community. He says the community contributes 3.7 trillion dollars to the American economy each year.
“We are a vibrant and dynamic community. Donde estamos y donde vamos [where we are and where we are going]. Today we find ourselves in a pivotal moment in history. The Hispanic community has become a vital force in the American economy,” said the Springfield representative.
Representative Bud Williams chairs the commission that held the celebration, and he spoke about growing up in Springfield surrounded by activists. “We didn’t have any elected officials, but you know what? They got the job done,” said Williams. “And they moved mountains! They moved mountains, and they were unapologetic in terms of what they wanted.”
Western Massachusetts elected officials who are members of the caucus gave constituents a Latino Excellence award to celebrate their community contributions.
Representative Williams emphasized that this country was built on the backs of immigrants, and this ceremony gives them overdue recognition and gratitude.
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