When the pandemic brought New York’s economy to a shuddering halt in 2020, there was a safety net for workers –if they were US citizens. But over half a million undocumented workers in the state weren’t included and faced a sudden loss of income. Strength & Solidarity returns with this close look at the “Fund Excluded Workers”campaign which used both street-level activism and behind-the-scenes advocacy at the state’s legislature to win a staggering $2.1bn in pandemic relief for workers without legal status. And in the Coda, queer Malaysian activist Henry Koh reflects on poetry and music as solace for LGBTI people forced to remain closeted by a conservative, religious society. 

For a list of supplemental readings and additional information about this episode’s content, please visit https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/

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