Harlem pays tribute to Fidel and his legacy

MATANAZAS, Cuba, Feb 6 (ACN) Harlem paid tribute to the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro on Saturday at the Malcolm x and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center in a vigil entitled, The Legacy Continues.

Over 200 people paid tribute to the historic leader, who passed away last November 25, during an activity that included artistic presentations, speeches and videos, in addition to a brief religious ceremony.
New York residents from different background participated in the event including diplomats from the Cuban Mission to the United Nations headed by its ambassador Anayansi Rodriguez.
Frank Velgara one of the organizers of the event said that The New York-New Jersey Cuba Si Committee organized the event in honor of Fidel for the example "he has given us in our struggles, Puerto Ricans, African Americans among others".
According to the activist, the community of Harlem welcomed Fidel in several occasions and there is no better place to pay tribute to the world leader, said Velgara.
He added that "this is a thank you to the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro, our Comandante and what better place than Harlem with a long history of solidarity of the African Americans and Latinos with Cuba".
Velgara read a poem dedicated to the revolutionary leader entitled "My Brother Fidel". He said he wrote the poem when he learned of the death of Fidel and this was the first time he was publically reading his dedication.
In one of the most emotional moments of the event, Dr. Joaquin Morante, graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine based in Havana thanked the opportunity of sharing his experience with other parts of the world and changing his professional perspectives.
"I changed my way of thinking in Cuba because Fidel taught us to be better human beings and think of others (...) Cuba is an example of public health at the service of the population with its citizens as a priority and this is the vision of Fidel Castro", he said.
Heading the activity were the Executive Director of Pastors for Peace, Gail Walker and member of the US solidarity organization Venceremos Brigade, Malcolm Sacks.