The 15th annual Latino Education and Advocacy Days (LEAD) Summit at California State San Bernardino (CSUSB) marked a milestone with a message that looked backward for strength and forward for action: Young people are not waiting for the future to lead change.
The Oct. 16 gathering, themed “15ñera for Justice: Divina Juventud: From Innocence to Resistance,” used the symbolism of a quinceañera and Día de los Muertos traditions to honor those who expanded educational opportunity while challenging a new generation to continue that work.
Continuing its longtime presence and support of the LEAD Summit Monsignor Gerard Lopez, STL, Vicar General of the diocese, provided the invocation to begin the gathering. Msgr. Lopez referenced the tragic school shooting that had occurred in Bend, Oregon just a day earlier.
“We pray today, especially for peace,” Msgr. Lopez said. “We pray for the community in Bend, Oregon, that has been terrorized yesterday, a moment of silence for their eternal rest and healing of that community. Peace and justice are what we pray for.”
The diocese also supported the summit through sponsorship, and the Office of Catholic Schools was present with a booth to distribute information on Catholic education.
“What we’re trying to do is invoke the sacred vitality of youth, la divina juventud, not as naive idealism but as revolutionary energy,” said Enrique Murillo Jr., executive director of LEAD and CSUSB professor of education. “Our quinceañera is not only a commemoration but a declaration. We have come of age. Innocence has given way to insight, and in the spirit of our ancestors, ni muertos ni vencidos. We’re still here and we rise.”
The summit’s two keynote presentations connected that theme to the lived experiences of Latino, immigrant and working-class communities. Jerry Tello, an author and longtime practitioner of community healing, urged young people to draw strength from their families, cultural traditions and ancestral teachings. Luz Gallegos, executive director of the TODEC Legal Center, described how immigrant-rights organizing, civic participation and the sharing of community stories can build political power and advance justice.
Also signifying its coming of age, State Sen. Eloise Gómez-Reyes presented LEAD with a proclamation from the state recognizing what the organization has done for the community and California for the last 15 years. In her welcome remarks, the senator, who is the sister of new University President Terri Gómez, said, “We’re here to honor people who came before us and to the young people who will carry us forward. For my sister and for me, that connection between generations is deeply personal. We’re here because of our family. We’re here because of their hard work, their sacrifices, and the dreams they held for us.”
California State University, San Bernardino provided this report.