Announcing the VLLC Podcasts!
We are excited to announce the debut of the VLLC Podcast Series, bringing you interviews and commentary from state leaders on a variety of issues related to Latino civic engagement. We will post new episodes as they become available, to keep our community informed!
Click on the images below to view our podcasts:
Podcast #1
Introduction to Virginia Latino Leaders Council: Welcome to VLLC! In our inaugural podcast, we introduce our organization and share our mission to increase Latino civic engagement in Virginia.
Podcast #3
VLLC Executive Director Andres Tobar interviews Maribel Castaneda, Director of Latino Outreach for the Office of the Governor, to learn how Governor Northam has worked to incorporate the Latino voice in his administration.
VLLC Survey Leads to Endorsement of Terry McAuliffe for Governor, Hala Ayala for Lt. Governor and Mark Herring for Attorney General
Our 2021 endorsement survey of hundreds of Latino leaders and activists yielded an overwhelming 93% support for all three Democratic candidates.
Podcast #2
In this podcast VLLC President J. Walter Tejada interviews Christopher E. “Chris” Piper, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections. on the electoral process in Virginia, including voter eligibility and election security, among other topics. Considering Virginia is one of only two states with a gubernatorial election this November and the importance of Latino participation, these are very timely topics!
VLLC Hosts 2021
Traditional Annual Working Meeting with the Governor
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, VLLC hosted our Annual Working Meeting with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to discuss current issues of concern to the Latino community. Unfortunately this traditional meeting was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, and we were thrilled this year to continue our conversation virtually. We met with the governor and high level staff, including representatives from the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Virginia Secretary of Education, the Virginia Department of Health, and staff from the governor’s office. Along with VLLC members, our invited presenters this year included representatives of the Virginia Latino Advisory Board (VLAB), Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights (VACIR), and the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO). Topics highlighted the limited access to the COVID vaccine for Latino and immigrant communities; challenges to obtaining Driver’s Privilege Cards; equitable educational opportunities for Latinos and immigrants; the absence of high-level Latino staff in the current administration, and others.
During the meeting we appreciated that Governor Northam was engaged from beginning to end with Virginia’s Latino leaders. He listened carefully to our concerns, provided quality feedback, and promised follow up. The participants agreed that quality followup with the appropriate staff will be critical to successful outcomes.
VLLC will continue to engage with high level public officials as part of our mission to promote the well-being of the Latino community. We seek to ensure that the concerns of our community are heard and understood, and that we work towards solutions.
(Photo credit: Karina Kline-Gabel/Paul Berry)
NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our 2020 civic engagement activities were cancelled. Throughout the pandemic, we have been focused on advocating for increased support for our Latino community. For a full list of our past activities, please see our Events and Photos page.