Latino Leadership. What does it look like?

 

LLA is excited that its Latino Leadership Alliance alumni have the passion for their communities and the ganas to use the leadership skills they developed through LLA’s Leadership Academy to put themselves before the voters for the opportunity to work serving their communities through elected office.
Learn more about these leaders, what they’re running for and why they’re doing it.

NAME: CARLA COLLINS

LLA COHORT: 4

RACE: San José Unified School District, Trustee Area 3

WHAT DOES LATINO LEADERSHIP LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

To me, Latino leadership looks like our beautiful, diverse community: Latino Leadership is strong and thoughtful, inclusive and progressive, deeply centered on family and uplifting all.  

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR OFFICE?

As a lifelong feminist and progressive Democrat, and as a mother of three San José Unified School District students, I’m deeply rooted in my community and know that the decisions made at the school board have both daily and long-term impact on the nearly 28,000 students and their families. We must work intentionally to undo the systemic racism that has harmed our students, particularly Latino males.

Dolores Huerta says that “every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute an opportunity to change the world.” I know that we need to change the world and for me this means serving our community on the San Jose Unified School Board.

HOW HAS YOUR LLA EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAMPAIGN RACE?

LLA gave me tools to examine power structures and create solutions to uplift our community. It widened my network of deep-thinking progressive Latinos who believe public service is noble space that we must expand to better meet the needs of our community.

LLA grounded my deep ancestral love in current political contexts so that I had the confidence to run. Members of Cohort IV (the best Cohort of all!) have been by my side each step of this campaign and that has made all the difference.

WEBSITE: https://www.electcarlacollins.com/