The coronavirus pandemic sparked the idea of “essential workers”—those whose jobs were so crucial to the ongoing functioning of the economy and of our collective well-being that they were exempt from quarantine rules. Sadly, essential workers—like the custodians who ensure that work spaces are regularly cleaned and maintained—have also long been exempted from equitable pay, a strong enforcement of health and safety standards, and the dignity they deserve. Disproportionately low-income immigrants and people of color, custodial workers’ rights are a matter of racial justice, as Evalynn Romano, the daughter of University of Washington custodians, outlines in her analysis. This photo essay captures the hard work and dignity of UW custodians.
Share
Sonali Kolhatkar
joined è! in summer 2021, building on a long and decorated career in broadcast and print journalism. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist, and host and creator of è! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali, a nationally syndicated television and radio program airing on Free Speech TV and dozens of independent and community radio stations. She is also Senior Correspondent with the Independent Media Institute’s Economy for All project where she writes a weekly column. She is the author of Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice (2023) and Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence (2005). Her forthcoming book is called Talking About Abolition (Seven Stories Press, 2025). Sonali is co-director of the nonprofit group, Afghan Women’s Mission which she helped to co-found in 2000. She has a Master’s in Astronomy from the University of Hawai’i, and two undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. Sonali reflects on “My Journey From Astrophysicist to Radio Host” in her 2014 TEDx talk of the same name.
Connect:
Evalynn Fae Taganna Romano
is a proud daughter of University of Washington (UW) custodians, a public health researcher serving communities of color, a mental health clinician for survivors of violence and traumatic loss, and a strong advocate for custodial worker rights. Since the pandemic began, she has served, collaborated with, and advocated for custodians at UW, bringing attention to the inequities they face through photography-based storytelling. Evalynn enjoys drinking coffee, going on hikes, bouldering, and community organizing. Evalynn is based in Seattle and speaks Tagalog, Waray-Waray, Khmer, and English. She can be reached at: www.uwcustodianproject.com