Last month, I was honored to unite with all who attended the “Procession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity”; neighbors, poets, historians, musicians, puppeteers, et al who walked the 2.5 miles through the streets of East Harlem, a.k.a. El Barrio in solidarity for a more compassionate future. Thank you to María Magdalena Campos-Pons and all involved in organizing this heart-touching event; for inviting me to share some poems. Here’s a brief video about the initiative with clips from the day we all came together, including an excerpt of my reading “Declaration of Inter-dependence.” 

Procession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity is a collaborative initiative that brings together a multigenerational procession of people throughout New York City to envision how communities can gather as a collective force with a common purpose in turbulent times. Organized by Madison Square Park Conservancy in partnership with Harlem Art Park and conceived by artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Procession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity convenes participants to walk together from Harlem Art Park to Madison Square Park, tracing the steps of the past in order to build an inclusive future.

Across two mornings, seven stops along the route mark sites that were historically filled with agency, optimism, or trauma. Selected for their significance to New York City populations including Black, Cuban, and Cuban-American communities, each stop on the walk will be activated by poetry readings, culminating with an artmaking workshop and music performances.