MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — On Thursday, October 17th, COPAL MN hosted its annual Dignity and Democracy Gala at Quincy Hall in Minneapolis to celebrate six years as an influential Latine-led member-based organization in Minnesota. Since it began in 2018, COPAL has remained steadfast in its mission to improve the quality of life for Latines across the state. Its growth in membership, services and political presence has allowed the organization to positively impact the lives of tens of thousands of community members.
“Our team of 35 passionate individuals engages in over 10,000 meaningful conversations with community members every single year,” said COPAL’s Executive Director, Francisco Segovia. “Through our work in health and wellness, employment, environmental justice, communications, and civic participation, we are addressing the fundamental hopes of our people, fighting for their right to live dignified lives.”
COPAL has evolved into a grassroots power-building, and visionary transnational organization. With a base of over 40,000 individuals, its initiatives are helping to pave the way for a brighter future. Over the last year, it has opened a new office in Rochester, launched a capital campaign for a Latino Center for Community Engagement, and planned its largest civic participation effort during a crucial election year.
“The Latino vote has the potential to be the deciding factor in elections across this country. Here in Minnesota, and in states like Wisconsin, our vote can tip the balance and determine the direction of policy for years to come,” said Segovia. “COPAL stands at the forefront of this movement. Through our voter registration drives, our civic engagement programs, and our relentless advocacy, we are empowering our community to not just participate, but to lead. The results speak for themselves; more Latinos are voting than ever before, and with every election, our influence grows.”
The gala brought together community partners, supporters, staff, members, friends and family to honor COPAL’s growing success and electoral impact. It featured a keynote address from Patricia Torres Ray, the first Latina elected to the Minnesota Senate. Building on Segovia’s comments, Torres Ray’s address focused on efforts to continue building political power within Latine communities and transforming systems to create a more equitable Minnesota.
“When I see the staff from COPAL advocating for workers and their families at the State Capitol, when I see them training people about their rights, traveling around the state informing people about new opportunities, I also think about the significant challenge they face,” said Torres Ray. “COPAL does not have access to millions, for advocacy and lobbying, but COPAL has you, and me and this big family. I argue that our collective voices and our votes are more powerful.”
COPAL also welcomed U.S. Representative Jesús G. “Chuy” García from Illinois to speak. The Congressman is the first Mexican American elected to Congress from the Midwest and represents a predominately Latino District in Illinois where one in every three people are foreign-born.
“Even though Latinos currently comprise 65.2 million of the entire U.S. population, we are only 2% of all elected officials,” said Rep. García. “We’ve got to show up the same way we do for the economic sectors. I recognize we may carry painful memories of the failed democratic systems in our home countries. We may even know individuals that paid the highest price for their civic participation back home, but this is also our home, and with it comes a responsibility to make it better for the generations after us.”
As COPAL looks back on all that it has accomplished, it is also focused on having an even greater impact in the future. The organization is on pace to achieve the goals it set in its strategic roadmap of being recognized as a statewide force for social change, and a key partner in the fight for progress. By 2025, COPAL is confident its community members will be prepared to lead significant change in public policy, helping to advance civil and labor rights.
Find photos from the Gala here.
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COPAL Minnesota is a member-based organization driven to improve the quality of life for Minnesota’s Latine communities. For more information, please visit www.copalmn.org.