TNDP Latino Summit this Saturday to feature Katherine Archuleta, national political director of Obama reelection campaign

By Miah Castillo

TNDP Latino Summit keynote speaker Katherine Archuleta

The Tennessee Democratic Party is putting on a Latino Summit this Saturday, January 21. Yes, para ti. I quickly understood what a big deal this was after I googled Katherine Archuleta’s name and read her bio. Yeah, she’s the first Latina to hold the position of national political director of a major presidential campaign, but she has also served as the right hand woman to Hilda Solis and Federico Pena. Equally, if not more important, she is the founder of an organization that works on getting more Hispanic voters involved in politics. Increasing civic engagement in our community is crucial, so I am really looking forward to her keynote address.

The TNDP is planning this really nice event to engage and energize the Latino community across Tennessee. This is an opportunity to get more involved in the political process, as Mrs. Archuleta would like you to do. It’s an opportunity to speak up or to listen if that is more your style. It’s an opportunity to tell the Democratic Party what it can do to better represent our community. It’s also an opportunity to hear what we can do as we work for a better life for ourselves and our families. The Latino Summit is an opportunity, don’t miss it!

The Summit will be held this Saturday, January 21, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the United Steelworkers Building, 3340 Perimeter Hill Drive, Nashville, TN, 37211-4154.

The reservation page is here.

Here is the official press release:

Democrats are building a plan to better engage Tennessee’s fast-growing Latino community and they’ve enlisted the help of Katherine Archuleta, the Obama campaign’s National Political Director.

Archuleta, the first Latina to hold that position on a major presidential campaign, will give remarks Jan. 21 in Nashville at the Tennessee Democratic Party’s inaugural Latino Summit.

The summit is the state party’s first step in engaging and energizing Hispanic Tennesseans for the 2012 election season. Members of the Latino and Hispanic community throughout Tennessee are encouraged to attend the free event and offer suggestions for improving community outreach.

Fabian Bedne, the first Latino elected to Metro-Nashville Council, is helping Democrats coordinate the statewide outreach and helped plan the summit.

“The challenges facing Latino Tennesseans and their families are by no means unique; many Tennessee families are working hard to find good jobs, to provide a good education for their children and to make sure their families can see a doctor when they need to,” Bedne said. “However, addressing those issues in Tennessee’s diverse communities may require unique solutions.”

“We hope the summit will be starting place for encouraging more dialogue, engagement and participation in the civic process,” Bedne said. “We’ll only solve the big problems our communities face with more involvement from all our families.”

The Latino population in Tennessee has more than doubled over the last decade, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census.

Ashford Hughes, political director for the Tennessee Democratic Party, said feedback from the summit will be used to craft programs specific to Latinos for voter registration, candidate recruitment and civic empowerment.

Anyone interested in learning more about the TNDP Latino Summit or interested in attending should contact the TNDP by phone at 615-327-9779.