COLOR works to engage and empower the Latinx community to speak out about the policies that impact us most. We are committed to ensuring that Latinx individuals and their families have access to affordable health services and that we are each able to live with dignity.
We work to address the disparate impact that systemic barriers create for individuals due to their economic situation, faith, race, gender, age, immigration status, physical abilities, sexual orientation or gender identity. We work with our community, in coalition with allies and elected officials, to identify policy solutions that allow us all to be safe and thrive.
COLOR breaks down our policy priorities into three tiers, based on levels of support and advocacy. Here is what we’re working on in 2020, listed from tier one to tier three:
COLOR believes in the full agency for pregnant and parenting students. Due to a lack of adequate support, pregnant and parenting students have a much higher dropout rate. This impacts their social and emotional development, increases health risk behaviors and increases the rate of unemployment. In 2020 COLOR is researching ways to best support pregnant and parenting young people in schools, with the goal of creating policy down the line that is validating and supportive of young pregnant and parenting students. We urge our leaders to work on policies that ensure the financial stability and future opportunities of people in our state. Too many Latinas are living in poverty due to wage disparities and a lack of fair workplace policies. We will support efforts to close the wage gap and advance access to paid family leave. We must challenge anti-immigrant rhetoric and protect the rights, health and dignity of immigrants in our state. We will be there with our partners who are organizing and advocating for policies to meet the needs of immigrant families and make a real and positive difference for undocumented people. We will not watch as people are torn away from their loved ones. We will not allow our state to be a place of hate, fear and intolerance. We will rise up for and with the immigrant community.
COLOR is committed to supporting forward thinking policies.We urge lawmakers to stand with womxn and families by advancing legislation that will help to meet the needs of Latinx individuals and our community.
