Above All Unity is the Key

Urgent Call to Confront Racist and Colonial Perspectives in Latinx community 

Over the weekend a leaked audio of Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo, Kevin de León, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera revealed a private conversation riddled with racist remarks. In response, HIP shared the following statement.

“The conversation by Los Angeles city council members in the leaked audio is disgusting, racist, and unacceptable. Historically, this type of language has evolved into violent actions with lasting consequences for those othered in our societies. This moment underscores the absolute urgency to confront the racist and colonial sentiments within our own community. 

“As our Board Chair, Efrain Escobedo, noted, “a shared pursuit to dismantle anti-Black racism and racist colonialism to achieve just and liberated communities demands zero tolerance—deep personal and systemic accountability is a must! Anti-Black language and divisive zero-sum racist perspectives of power are appalling and straight-up contrary to these pursuits.” 

“Latinx leaders should model solidarity and work to dismantle the systems of oppression that we all face. At HIP, we believe that in order to build power, we must use a lens of Black liberation. In order to lead, we must learn to weave the complex histories of our communities together to leverage the power and privilege we hold to co-create cultures of belonging. It means taking a proactive role in shaping a multi-racial democracy that deeply honors and reflects the civic life of our communities. 

“Philanthropy can play a powerful role in making this a reality. We do this by fueling grantmaking, liberated leadership development, and network building dedicated to this vision, we create study trips with partners like ABFE, and engage in coalitions like CHANGE Philanthropy. But above all, in order to achieve justice, we understand that unity is key.” 

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