Building Our Collective Power

Yadira Solis

This year, the 14^th Annual Latino/a Advocacy Day brought more than 300 Latinx community members to Denver, Colorado to participate, learn, speak out and advocate their elected officials about issues that affect themselves, their families, and communities. This year LAD was a two- day event that offered training on policy issues that continue to impact our communities, including immigrant justice, criminal justice, reproductive justice, environmental justice, and economic justice. Participants traveled from Pueblo, Greeley, Yuma, and even Parachute; their ages ranged from 16 to 76.

For 14 years, this convening has brought together families and communities to Denver to share stories and unite with one another. Sometimes, we feel isolated or are too busy to talk about the issues that impact our lives as we struggle to survive in OUR state. LAD provides a path for the community to access their representatives unlike anything before. It allows us to gather power in OURSELVES. Moreover, it is my personal belief that it is the unification as a Raza that has contributed to the largest Latino Caucus in our state’s history, and I am proud to say that WE now have representatives that understand us and will listen to our concerns with PRIDE and COMMITMENT to our community.

It is my personal belief that it is the unification as a Raza that has contributed to the largest Latino Caucus in our state’s history, and I am proud to say that WE now have representatives that understand us and will listen to our concerns with PRIDE and COMMITMENT to our community.

This year we urged our state’s leaders to create forward-thinking policies to address the complex issues facing our communities. Over the two days, we built upon our legacy by bringing people together to tell their stories and leverage the collective strength of our voices. This will help to fuel our efforts as we continue to push back on anyone who will try to take away our rights, separate our families, deny our bodily autonomy, or disrespect and discriminate against our community.

LAD continues to impact our community’s lives because it provides people the confidence, tools, and support of collective Latino/a voice. Our hope is that we continue thriving as a community and continue to engage in advocacy to our community leaders. Our hope is to continue to see young people continue to grow into leadership roles. Latino/as of all ages deserve to be in leadership roles and at the decision-making table.

Latino/a Advocacy Day is a powerful MOMENT and a testament to building our collective power, and it is also a MOVEMENT that we are building to push for real and lasting change. We will continue to reach out, seek out, and speak out beyond this two-day event.

Yadira Solis, Outreach and Organizing Manager of Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR).

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