Rev. Rich Rose of the First Baptist Church of Ithaca conducts Ithaca's vigil for farmworkers' rights on October 19.

For a week, beginning October 15, people from many different backgrounds began gathering for Vigils Across New York State for Farmworker Rights.

 In the 1930’s, in the midst of the JIM CROW era, farmworkers were excluded under New York Labor Law from the basic human rights including a day of rest, overtime pay and protection while bargaining collectively. Now in 2009, the New York State Senate can right this wrong, and all of New York can feel the freedom of the yoke of injustice being removed.