Almost 57 million strong, Latinos in the US represent over 17% of the population and have more than $1.5 trillion in buying power. Yet Latinos are grossly under-represented in civic leadership roles of impact. Only 5 percent of US congressional seats and 4 percent of state legislature seats are held by Latinos. These disparities are most glaring on the local level, where Latino representation is lacking in elected leadership and in government appointed positions.
Latina Circle, in collaboration with the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston and other Latino and civic engagement organizations will co-host the inaugural Nuestra Voz: Amplifying Latino Power, Influence, and Impact Conference on June 17th.
The Nuestra Voz Conference kicks off the launch of the Amplify Latinx Initiative. Amplify Latinx Initiative is a non-partisan, collaborative movement aimed at significantly increasing the representation of Latinos in elected and appointed positions, on government boards and commissions, on corporate and non-profit boards, as well as C-suite positions. The Nuestra Voz Conference is the first in a series of collaborative convenings that will include four summer workshops and a Fall Summit aimed at empowering our community leaders and building sustainable partner coalitions.
The Nuestra Voz Conference will convene over 250 Latinx leaders and 30+ community partners at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate to celebrate progress in recent elections, while also identifying existing gaps in overall Latinx representation. This is the first of its kind, non-partisan collaborative convening of the Latino-serving community organizations, social impact groups and power building advocates across Massachusetts. We’re on a mission to bolster Latino civic participation by:
● Building a strong coalition of Latinx leaders, stakeholders, and partner organizations,
● Exploring opportunities for collaboration, with a particular focus on ensuring that efforts are not duplicated and instead strengthened as one movement, and
● Developing actionable, innovative, and collaborative strategies and commitments to increase Latinx representation and civic engagement.
As we head into a political climate that is challenging immigrant and women’s rights, the need for strong Latino political representation cannot be overstated. This session will focus on the importance of political participation and cultivating elected and appointed Latino leaders. A group of experts from partner organizations (e.g. Emerge, New Politics and Latino Victory Project, etc.) will discuss how to run for office, and what it takes to win! The discussion will include several local elected officials who will provide “real stories” of their campaigns, successes and lessons learned. At the end of the session, participants will have a general understanding of (1) Who should run for office, (2) what it takes to win an election, what is involved in running for office, (3) how to raise the resources for a successful run, including fundraising and building a base, and (4) the organizations and resources available to support candidates.
Emerge Massachusetts, New Politics, Leadership for Educational Equity, Massachusetts Alliance, MA Women’s Political Caucus, Latino Victory Project.
Creating the Momentum for Change: Learning Advocacy and Accountability with Lessons Learned from the Front-Lines
In order to activate Latino political power, we need to learn from the community members that have been actively doing this work for years. This interactive workshop will set the stage of lessons learned and personal reflections of being on the front-lines of different movements. The goal of this workshop is to have participants understand what the current strategies for local, state and national advocacy efforts are, and begin to process how to advocate for the Latinx Community.
SEIU-New England,MIRA, Student Immigrant Movement, CPLAN, Boston Education Action Network, National Hispanic Caucus, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.
Taking A Seat at the Table: How to position yourself for appointed positions in government and why it matters
The importance of appointed positions in government is often overlooked. Like in many other spheres, there is a lack of representation of Latinos in executive positions in city government and among members of boards and commissions. In this workshop, you will hear expert analysis and personal insights from a distinguished panel of guests. Drs. James Jennings and Jennifer Douglas will share findings of The Silent Crisis II report and discuss recommendations for inclusion of Latinos in municipalities. Read the original The Silent Crisis: Including Latinos and Why It Matters Report.
You will also learn how to best position yourself for these roles from Latinx leaders who currently sit on city and state boards. These panelists will share their journey and experiences getting to ‘the table’ and lessons learned along the way. The discussion will be moderated by the young and dynamic City Councilor of District 5 in Chelsea, Judith Garcia.
Greater Boston Latino Network
We are the “new majority:” people of color, immigrants, women, and the working class, on a path to liberation. Our statewide, membership organization is marching to put people and the planet before profit. We counter the fear that causes injustice by building power to transform the institutions that govern our lives.
Your support can help grow this movement to advance the next generation of civically engaged and empowered Latino Leaders.
Email Betty Francisco, Co-Founder of Latina Circle at betty@latinacircle.com today.