CHA Director of Youth Opportunities will join Latino Policy Forum 2016 Multicultural Leadership Academy

Chicago—The Latino Policy Forum is pleased to announce the selection of 24 community leaders serving Latino and African American communities to participate in the Forum’s inaugural Multicultural Leadership Academy, set to begin next month. The Academy will work with these leaders to increase their understanding of how racial and ethnic groups can collaborate to transform their communities through social action, resulting in strengthened relationships among leaders from diverse communities of color through the establishment of intercultural understanding and trust. 

Since its inception in 2009, the Latino Policy Forum has trained more than 150 leaders and emerging stars from more than 55 organizations. The Multicultural Leadership Academy builds on the six-year tradition of the Illinois Latino Nonprofit Leadership Academy in developing and training change agents committed to strengthening communities across the state. 

“We need leaders who understand their communities and are open to engaging others outside their respective communities in order to push innovation and justice that can lead to an informed, inclusive and equitable civic society,” said academy trainer Dr. Troy Harden, the MSW Program Director at Northeastern Illinois University, 

The Multicultural Leadership Academy will provide a series of leadership workshops for individuals actively involved in social justice, sponsored by organizations committed to social change, policy impact, and/or community improvement that serve communities of color throughout Illinois. Given Chicago’s historic segregation, alliance building across communities requires a deliberate and intentional approach, which the redesigned Academy will do. 

“I am inspired to be working with the next generation of leaders of color,” said Sylvia Puente, the Latino Policy Forum’s Executive Director. “More importantly, in these challenging times it is an honor to collaborate with this alliance of leaders to identify opportunities for bridging Latino and African American communities. 

The 2016 Multicultural Leadership Academy cohort: 

Azalea Acuna La Casa Norte 

Bessie Alcantara BBF Family Services 

Erika Allen Growing Power, Inc. 

Oswaldo Alvarez Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership 

Asiaha Butler R.A.G.E. - Resident Association of Greater Englewood 

April Callen Chicago Foundation for Women 

Ebony Campbell Chicago Housing Authority 

Aasia Castañeda The Field Museum 

Henry Cervantes Our Lady of Tepeyac - Elementary School 

Adriana Díaz City Bureau 

Bryan Johnson Metropolitan Family Services 

Keith Lewis United Way Metropolitan Chicago 

Alfredo Nambo Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy 

Abel Ochoa University of Chicago Collegiate Scholars Program 

Nikki Patin Surviving the Mic 

Arthur Richardson Chicago Park District 

Angelica Rivera Proyecto Pa'Lante at Northeastern Illinois University 

Kimeco Roberson Chicago Park District 

Maritza Rocha Mujeres Latinas en Acción 

Analia Rodriguez Latino Union of Chicago 

Luis Roman Association of Latino/as Motivating Action (ALMA) 

Anton Seals Jr. DePaul University 

Craig Stevenson Open Architecture Chicago / High Jump 

Carman Weathington Chicago Commons 

About the Latino Policy Forum The Latino Policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. The Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence and lead. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies, and engage diverse sectors of the community, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future. For more information, visit www.latinopolicyforum.org.