Andrea Alejandra Gonzales
Andrea Alejandra Gonzales (She/They) is a 21-year-old Queer Mestiza advocate and educator for marginalized youth. Since the age of 15, they have been studying and sharing knowledge about the intersection of racial justice, gender justice, educational justice, and abolition. They have also led workshops across the country about anti-capitalism, community and coalition organizing, and gun violence. Andrea is currently the Education Specialist at New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) and is also a community educator. They are a rising senior at the City University of New York (CUNY) working towards a degree in Social Justice and Child Advocacy through the CUNY BA program.
Juvanie Piquant
Juvanie Piquant is a senior at New York City College of Technology majoring in Law & Paralegal Studies. Ms. Piquant also formerly served as the first Haitian American woman to be University Student Senate (USS) Chairperson and CUNY Trustee. Throughout her tenure she represented 500,000 CUNY students in New York State, to advocate for the progression and affordability of higher education at local, state, and federal levels. Prior to her work at University Student Senate Juvanie Piquant had several involvements in executive leadership. Ms. Piquant served on the Board of Directors for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) for 2 consecutive years, with her focus centered on higher education and environmental policy in New York City and New York State.
As a staunch advocate for women empowerment and civic engagement, Ms. Piquant interned with 21 in 21 a non-for- profit organization focused on electing women to the New York City Council in 2021. While interning at 21 in 21 Ms. Piquant focused on communication, data analysis and political relations at 21 in 21 resulting in a majority class of women being elected to the City Council for the first time in New York City’s history.
Ms. Piquant’s passion for advocacy and philanthropy has propelled her to get involved in her
community and continuously serve others. As an aspiring attorney Juvanie hopes to focus on social justice issues and the rights of the most marginalized. She currently serves as the Community Liaison for Council Member Rita Joseph of New York’s 40th Council District. As a Brooklyn native, born and raised by Haitian immigrants in Canarsie, Juvanie has seen first hand the importance of equal access and opportunity for all in New York City and hopes to empower young women to get involved but most importantly lead.
Catherine Barnett
Catherine Barnett is the Co-Director of Freedom To Thrive, an organization working to combat the crimmigration system. She has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with concentrations in entrepreneurship and in community organizing. Catherine sits on nonprofit boards including New Economy Project, Richmond Senior Services and the Women’s Organizing Network. She has an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Amanda Farias
Amanda Farías is the Council Member for the 18th District in the Bronx. Amanda is a lifelong Bronxite, born and raised in Soundview as a second-generation Afro-Latina of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. She is a graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics and Master of Arts in Public Administration, where her passion for community service, activism, and empowerment began.
Council Member Farías’ extensive experience includes working for the New York City Council for 5 years in several different capacities. She then went on to become the Assistant Director of Consortium for Worker Education, as well as be New York State Coordinator for New American Leaders, and become the Co-Founder of Women of Color for Progress. In these positions she has helped create pipelines for women, people of color, and young people to access spaces that are traditionally out of reach- like running for office or good paying union jobs.
She now serves as Chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus in the New York City Council.
Diana C. Richardson
Diana C. Richardson currently serves as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President. She previously proudly represented “The Mighty 43rd“ Assembly District in Brooklyn since 2015. In her new role as the highest-ranking female politician in Brooklyn, Deputy Borough President Richardson will oversee the Office’s portfolio on food and nutrition, community board reform, and gun violence.
During her time as Assemblywoman for the 43rd District, she was a fierce advocate of working people, families, renters, and small businesses. Richardson’s long list of accomplishments includes her instrumental role in passing the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. She also fought against police brutality and over-policing, passing legislation nicknamed the “Amy Cooper Law,” and championed reforms to the criminal justice system like Raise the Age.
Richardson has also been a steadfast fighter for public education, from fully funding our public schools and CUNY to sponsoring numerous bills to bring financial, cultural literacy, and sex education to our schools. In 2020, she passed a bill to require Culturally Responsive Education in all schools.
Richardson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Medgar Evers College, and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Evaluation from the School of Public Affairs at CUNY Baruch College.
Special Remarks from:
Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Maloney represents New York’s 12th Congressional District, covering parts of Astoria, Long Island City, most of Manhattan’s East Side, and North Brooklyn. She is a recognized progressive national leader with extensive accomplishments on financial services, national security, the economy, and women’s issues. She is the first woman to serve as chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where she has used her power to champion recently passed Postal reform and swift climate action. Once called a “A tiger in the House on every dollar due New York” by the Village Voice, Congresswoman Maloney has secured more than $10 billion for infrastructure projects in NY-12 including the 2nd Avenue Subway, Kosckiuzko Bridge, Queensbridge roof restoration, Queensbridge F-train connector, and L-train repairs.
Congresswoman Maloney is a prolific legislator and has authored and passed more than 74 measures, either as stand-alone bills or as measures incorporated into larger legislative packages. Twelve of these bills, including the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act andThe Credit CARD Act, also called the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights, were signed into law at formal (and rare) Presidential Signing Ceremonies.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Congresswoman Maloney introduced several bills to aid those most affected by the pandemic including the Made in America: Preparation for a Pandemic Act, the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act, the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act , and Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act. In March and April of 2020, when New York City was in a PPE shortage, Congresswoman Maloney worked with a task force she helped organize, Fashion for the Frontlines, to transform garment industry factories into PPE production factories.
During the 116th Congress, Congresswoman Maloney’s Corporate Transparency Act, Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, Never Again Education Act, Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act, Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019, and Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act were all signed into law signed into law as part of larger legislative packages or as standalone legislation.