Washington, DC – Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-CA), critically-acclaimed talk show host Tavis Smiley, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and labor leaders Arturo Rodriguez and John Wilhelm are among the participants at the Town Halls which will be held each day at the 2006 Annual Conference of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). These and other speakers will discuss current topics such as immigration reform and the labor movement, HIV/AIDS, youth activism, and race/ethnic relations.

The Town Hall meetings, which are free and open to the public, will be held each day July 8-11 at 3:30 p.m. in Concourse Hall 152 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A summary of each Town Hall can be found at www.nclr.org/townhalls. Following is a list of speakers.

SATURDAY, JULY 8
Toward Immigration Reform and Beyond: Latinos and Labor Unions Working Together

• Moderator: Cecilia Muñoz, Vice President, Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation, NCLR
• John Wilhelm, President, UNITE HERE!
• Eliseo Medina, International Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
• Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
• Arturo Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America, NCLR Board Member
• Irasema Garza, Director of Women’s Rights, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO

SUNDAY, JULY 9
Break the Silence without Fear: Protecting the Latino Family Against HIV/AIDS

• Moderator: Britt Rios-Ellis, PhD, Director, NCLR-CSULB Center for Latino Health, Evaluation & Leadership Training
• Representative Hilda L. Solis (D-32nd Congressional District, California)
• Monica Alonso González, MD, PhD, MPH, MHA, Regional Advisor, Pan American Health Organization
• Maria C. Rangel, MD, PhD, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Garth N. Graham, MD, MPH, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, Office of Minority Health

MONDAY, JULY 10
Stepping Out and Standing Up: The New Generation of Latino Líderes

• Raul Yzaguirre, Former NCLR President and CEO
• Paula Crisostomo, Student Leader of 1968 Walkouts, Director of Community and Government Relations, Occidental University
• NCLR Líderes Summit participants
• Latino student activists who organized recent marches

TUESDAY, JULY 11
Leadership Across Communities: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century*

• Moderator: Tavis Smiley, The Tavis Smiley Show, Public Radio International (PRI)
• Antonia Hernandez, President, California Community Foundation
• Rev. Jesse Jackson, Founder and President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Inc.
• Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center
• John Mack, President, Los Angeles Police Commission
• Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF)
• Janet Murguía, President and CEO, NCLR

* This session will be taped for national radio broadcast on PRI’s The Tavis Smiley Show.

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