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Eddie Moran's Election NIght celebration

"We are setting a new path forward for Latino leadership for decades to come.”

By Mateo Toro

November 8^th, 2019

On Tuesday November 6th, 2019 the City of Reading elected its first Latino mayor, Eddie Moran. He also became the first Latino mayor of a major city in the state of Pennsylvania. I'm not huge on politics, therefore I undermined the significance of how important the representation alone of Eddie possibly becoming the mayor meant to the Latino community in Reading.

I spent most of Election Day helping my dear friend, Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, cover ground on the voting polls, as she was running for City Council in District 6. I didn't intend to document what was unfolding that day before me, however I always carry a camera on me. So after voting polls closed at 8pm we headed over downtown to the Abraham Lincoln Hotel where Eddie Moran was hosting his victory party.

As the official votes came in and it was officially announced that Eddie had won; the bachata and merengue started blasting, the Puerto Rican flags were waved up to the ceiling, and history was made. That's when I noticed how much this truly meant to Latino community and I immediately began to take pictures.

Eddie addresses through the crowds' cheers, "My victory today is bigger than me and every individual in this room. Tonight, we become pioneers, and by standing on the shoulders of others before me, we are setting a new path forward for Latino leadership for decades to come."