Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today, I would like to honor an organization that generations of Illinois families have relied on: Mujeres Latinas en Accion--or Latina Women in Action. Mujeres is the longest standing Latina-led organization in the entire country. And this year, they are celebrating 50 years of empowering and emboldening Latinas across our State--as well as their families. Founded in 1973 by the late Maria Mangual, Mujeres was first established as a shelter for young women escaping violence in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Back then, some wrote off Mujeres' work as radical and unnecessary, but these critics didn't deter Maria or the dedicated women who supported her cause from building an enduring and indispensable organization. In the five decades since, Mujeres' mission, services, and footprint have only expanded to help uplift women from all walks of life. And today, Mujeres does it all. They host support groups to help young families with parenting skills. They operate a 24-hour crisis line--and referral service--to assist survivors of domestic and sexual violence, both of which, tragically, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have developed an education training program for women hoping to launch or expand their small businesses, as well as a community engagement and mobilization program, to amplify the voices of Latina immigrants and survivors of trauma.…”