America ReFramed

Councilwoman

By Margo Guernsey. A co-production of Time Travel Productions, LLC, in association with Rayuela Films, LLC, Latino Public Broadcasting and Independent Television Service.

Carmen Castillo is a first-term city councilwoman who maintains her full-time job as a hotel housekeeper. She advocates for the working families in her community, many of whom work multiple jobs to stay afloat.

Castillo, who came to the U.S. in 1994 from the Dominican Republic with three daughters in tow, believes that working families should earn a wage sufficient to allow them to live in dignity. In her quest for workers’ rights she leads the charge of the Fight for $15 in Providence, Rhode Island. She runs a grueling reelection campaign - knocking door-to-door to get out the vote, attending fundraisers, meeting with community members and leaders - all while working at the hotel, in City Hall and maintaining a family. Through it all, she stays true to her vision for justice and equity to prove that “she can do it!” Will she succeed?

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