Aquí: The Accountability Movement Announces Second Class of Latino Speakers Bureau Fellows

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, nonpartisan organization, Aquí: The Accountability Movement unveils its second class of fellows in the Latino Speakers Bureau, a one-of-a-kind program aiming to increase and amplify Latino representation in national, regional, and streaming media by elevating the profiles of prominent activists and issue-experts in the press and beyond. Members of this program receive media training and booking support in order to amplify the visibility of these local leaders to new audiences.

A 2021 study revealed that Latinos make up only 12% of the media workforce and 4% of industry management, despite making up 18% of the overall U.S. workforce, demonstrating a drastic need for Latino representation in the news cycle.

This Latino Speakers Bureau cohort includes:

• Professor Lisa Garcia Bedolla, UC Berkeley
• Frances Colon, Center for American Progress
• Eric Holguin, UnidosUS
• Jose Alfaro, Community Justice Action Fund
• Angela Barranco, Climate Group
• Veronica Garibay, Leadership Council for Justice & Accountability

This round of fellows includes experts in climate, environmental justice, farmworker rights, and clean energy. According to a March report released by UnidosUS, climate change is a pressing concern, with 81% of Latinos identifying it as a top issue, and 71% believing it directly affects their local communities.

Aquí's Lead Strategist, Nathaly Arriola Maurice, stated:

"Cable and mainstream news networks, facing demanding news cycles with little room to breathe, often resort to familiar voices with DC expertise but little lived experience outside the nation's capital.

While their voices and understanding of the federal government remain crucial, our intention is to elevate trusted local and state leaders to bring to light different experiences, and provide the leaders with resources and training for a national stage."

Aquí's Chairman of the Board, Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, added:

"The voices, interests, experiences, and perspectives of the Latino community have been glaringly absent from mainstream media. Aquí's launch of the Speaker's Bureau has provided a solution and challenged the excuses news outlets make about lacking connections to community leaders. Aquí is reshaping dynamics between established power structures and the influence that Latinos can exert.

We know that Latino Speakers Bureau will be a vital resource as we strive to elevate Latinos into positions of influence, advocate for fair and accurate representations of our community, and combat harmful stereotypes and demagoguery."

SOURCE Aquí: The Accountability Movement