DATE: Friday, October 25th TIME: 9:00 am – 10:30 am CT – Breakfast Poderosa Panel (panel is 90 minutes) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, there has been a noticeable shift away from centering communities of color in programs, policies, and institutional practices. Many sectors are moving toward race-neutral approaches, sidelining the progress made in equity and inclusion. However, Latina leaders from the Midwest are at the forefront of rejecting this trend, championing leadership that prioritizes historically excluded communities. This panel brings together powerful Latina voices from philanthropy, academia, advocacy, and law to discuss how they are confronting and dismantling race-neutral policies in their fields.
The discussion will explore:
– The impact of the Supreme Court decision on programs aimed at equity for communities of color. – The importance of maintaining a focus on racial and ethnic identity in leadership positions. – The strategies Latina leaders are employing to resist the erosion of race-conscious policies. – How Latina leadership is uniquely positioned to champion community-centered solutions.
This panel will highlight the powerful work of Latina leaders in re-centering equity and inclusion and paving the way for more just and inclusive practices across the Midwest and beyond.
Plenary Moderator: Sonja Diaz, Co-Founder, Latina Futures 2050 Lab
Special Guests: Ciciley (CC) Moore, Director, Office of the President, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Marlén J Mendoza, Associate Director of External Affairs, Latino Policy Forum Maria Socorro Pesqueira, President, Healthy Communities Foundation Rebeca M. López, Attorney, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.
