A coalition of Latinx musicians, actors, artists, activists and nonprofit and corporate leaders are coming together to celebrate the contributions of the Latinx community who have fought against and have been impacted by COVID-19.
On October 26, CBS will broadcast Essential Heroes: A Memento Latino Event, a one-hour special that aims to highlight the incredible work Latinx people have done across their communities during the pandemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic or Latinos are 2.8x more likely to be infected by the coronavirus in comparison to Whites. They are also 4.6x more likely to be hospitalized and 1.1x more likely to die from the coronavirus.
Essential Heroes: A Memento Latino Event will be hosted by Gloria Estefan, Eva Longoria and Ricky Martin. It will include musical performances, comedy acts and docu-short presentations from a host of Latinx talent who will be announced over the next week.
“When COVID-19 hit the United States, people were quick to applaud our essential workers, many of whom are Latinos, for helping to keep food on our tables, delivering our packages and working in our healthcare system,” Longoria told the L.A. Times in a statement. “The Latinx community has been the backbone of this country for hundreds of years, not just the last seven months, and it’s time that we not only know our own worth, but are also recognized, appreciated and celebrated accordingly for our contributions, pandemic or not.”
The evening will include special guest appearances by actors Arturo Castro (TV’s Broad City), John Leguizamo (Critical Thinking), Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Academy Award winner Rita Moreno (West Side Story) and others.
Essential Heroes: A Memento Latino Event airs on October 26 at 9 p.m. EST.