Friday, May 3, 2019

Feel Good Friday - MALDEF

As you prepare to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the Mexican victory in the Battle of Puebla, take a moment to learn about today's Feel Good Friday organization, MALDEF.

MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Founded in 1968, their mission "is to protect and defend the rights of all Latinos living in the United States and the constitutional rights of all Americans."

Their court cases and public policy advocacy focuses on five areas: education, employment, immigrants' rights, voting rights and access to justice.

This work involves desegregating public schools, ending discrimination in hiring and promotion practices, eliminating barriers that prevent immigrants from achieving full integration into society, and fighting for voting rights and equal rights. MALDEF is also leading litigation, advocacy and education to prevent the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Whew!

In addition to details on all their court cases, the website also has a resource page with links to a scholarship guide, leadership programs, projects with partner organizations and publications you can download.

If you want to support the work of MALDEF and live in Chicago you can attend the 50th Anniversary Gala on June 7th. For those of us who don't, you can make a donation here. Everyone can help spread the word and show the social media love by liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @MALDEF. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

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