Newark Activism
Cathy Renna
Cathy Renna is a veteran in the communications industry and currently serves as the Communications Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Since her time at GLAAD in the 1990’s, Cathy has executed her particular expertise in crisis and strategic communications, playing a central role in shaping nearly all major issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, from the beating death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 to the fight for marriage equality and the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” as well as issues related to trans youth, anti-LGBTQ violence, reparative therapy and more. She led the team that...Rafael Chavez Santiago
Hispanic Organizer Hola! My name is Rafael Santiago. I was born and raised in Mexico. I fell in love with the city of Newark back in 2009. I evolved as a young adult in North Newark eager to grow and learn to master the language I enrolled in ESL in FOCUS. This interaction with a nonprofit allowed me to grow confidence in the new world and I was able to find the Latino Commission on AIDS in NYC. In this organization I discovered the passion I had for my Latinx community. With this passion burning I wanted to create change locally, where I found a new home New Labor in 2015. New Labor...Laquetta Nelson
Laquetta Nelson, a longtime gay rights activist, established the Newark Pride Alliance to fight for safe spaces after the tragic murder of Sakia Gunn in 2003.She is also the founder of the New Jersey Stonewall Democrats and was awarded the 2004 Community Service Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.