‘Voting Works for the People who Participate’: Voto Latino’s Maria Teresa Kumar Speaks at TIME Women’s Leadership Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 11, 2024
Contact: Diana Castaneda
VP of Communications
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Kumar was joined on stage by civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill; actor, director and producer Kerry Washington; and founder of Black Leaders Organizing Communities Angela Lang

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voto Latino President and Co-founder Maria Teresa Kumar, who heads the leading civic engagement organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latino voters, took the stage yesterday at the TIME100 Women’s Leadership Forum in New York.

In a panel discussion moderated by TIME Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs, Kumar discussed the art of advocacy alongside civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill; actor director, and producer Kerry Washington; and founder of Black Leaders Organizing Communities Angela Lang.

During the conversation, Kumar emphasized the importance of meeting people where they are and communicating with them on their terms. That is especially important for reaching Gen Z voters, she added, explaining that “they will be the difference” this election.

“Focus on organizations that are literally growing that electoral base, that are telling people that democracy is not icky, but that it’s incredibly effective the moment they jump in,” Kumar said. “Because once you convince a young person that they can change the world, not only do they start voting, but then they start running for office. Then they start changing our school board. But they need that hope.”

Kumar underscored the importance of promoting civic participation as a primary tool for achieving change in America’s democratic system.

“People say voting doesn’t work. No – voting works for the people who participate,” Kumar said. “So our job is to occupy the voting booth and then occupy the halls of the Senate, occupy the halls of Congress and occupy all the way down so that our leaders can continue having the courage to do the people’s business.”

To read more about the panel, see the coverage from TIME.

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latino voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over 1.4 million voters, mobilized tens of thousands of voters in the 2022 midterms, helping to defeat the so-called “red wave” and keep the Senate majority-Democrat. Voto Latino has also filed several lawsuits to defend voting rights in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina ahead of the 2024 election.