Raza Development Fund is the largest Latino Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the country. RDF has had the privilege of serving majority-Latino and majority-Minority communities throughout the country for years. With nearly $400 million in total assets, RDF has continually been able to address the needs of under-served communities throughout the country. However, RDF is a unique CDFI in that the model under which RDF operates allows for continual community growth and economic advancement. Even as RDF grows and expands into different markets, it never truly lost sight of the “community” aspect of a CDFI, and I have had …

The UnidosUS Annual Conference gives participants from all over the U.S. a meeting ground to discuss and focus on topics that address pressing issues that Latinos face daily. This year was unique—they went to a virtual format, keeping everyone safe, without losing momentum and still moving the agenda of the Latino community forward. We had the opportunity to hear from prominent leaders about a variety of key topics like the importance of health insurance, phenomenal Latinas, and voting. For me, it was empowering to learn about current events and problems that are affecting many people. The virtual conference was held …

When I was eight years old, I looked forward to playing football. One day I was at Hermoso Park for our flag football practice when suddenly two young black men bolted through our practice field towards the back of the park. A cop car immediately drove onto the field and apprehended one of them. I remember looking around at our team of eight-year-olds and telling my coach, “I hope we can still keep playing.” My coach looked at me and said, “I hope this park can, one day, be safe enough for children to play football.” We never practiced at …