Latino, Black and Labor Leaders Declare Unified Front in Los Angeles
Joint community townhall discussed rising costs for families, access to good jobs, civil rights pressures facing communities and ways to move forward together
LOS ANGELES — UnidosUS, the National Urban League and SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) today convened Dignity. Prosperity. Together. — A Community Townhall on Economic Justice and Civil Rights at Meruelo Media Studios in Los Angeles. The event brought together more than 100 community members, workers, advocates and civic leaders around a shared conviction rooted in dignity, freedom and shared prosperity — connecting the fight for economic opportunity to the civil rights legacy that has always demanded it.
“Today, we heard members of our communities talk about the many challenges they are facing right now, especially rising prices and fewer opportunities to prosper. While at the same time, they are experiencing unprecedented attacks on their civil rights. UnidosUS, the National Urban League and SEIU-USWW came together not only to showcase the ways in which the Trump administration has failed to deliver for our communities but also to show the power and promise of our communities coming together. It is critical that everyone uses the power of their voice and the power of their vote to shape a brighter future for America,” said Janet Murguía, UnidosUS president and CEO
The event came at a time of continuing pressure for many communities in Los Angeles and other cities across America. Housing costs keep climbing while wages stay flat. Health care bills are pushing families into debt. People are working multiple jobs but still feel one unexpected expense away from crisis. Federal immigration enforcement actions have compounded that economic pain, and as workers pull back out of fear — from jobs, schools and public life — whole communities feel it. Meanwhile, federal budget cuts are further threatening the safety net that millions of working families depend on.
“What we reaffirmed today in Los Angeles is a simple but powerful truth: the fight for economic justice and the fight for civil rights are inseparable. Across this country, families are battered by rising housing costs, stagnant wages, escalating health care bills, and the fear and uncertainty that take hold when federal enforcement reaches into their communities. These pressures cut across race, background and zip code. That is why UnidosUS, the National Urban League and SEIU‑USWW are standing shoulder to shoulder — building a future where Black, Latino and working families have real opportunity, dignity and economic security,” said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League.
“SEIU-USWW members know that creating good union jobs and holding employers accountable is the key to economic prosperity for workers who protect and service some of the largest industries like tech and entertainment. We’ve seen the Administration unleash a campaign of terror to silence dissent and criminalize organizing. I am facing baseless charges for exercising my First Amendment rights at an ICE raid in Los Angeles on June 6, 2025. As we continue strengthening economic and racial justice through effective partnerships, we renew our calls for people across the country to peacefully join a demonstration on International Workers’ Day on May 1, celebrate our communities’ resilience and power, and ensure all families are safe from fear and exploitation,” said David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW).
The townhall featured testimonies from several community members whose stories brought to life the economic and civil rights pressures facing families in Los Angeles — from the struggle for fair wages and stable housing, to the economic impact of federal immigration enforcement, to the fight to build and sustain a business in communities that have been systematically underinvested.
Murguía, Morial and Huerta responded directly to the impact on families, communities and our country, connecting it to the broader civil rights legacy and making concrete commitments to the communities in the room.
Earlier today the three leaders committed to the following charge:
“We believe work should pay a fair and living wage. We believe every family deserves a safe home. We believe no one should choose between a paycheck and a sick child. We believe in freedom from fear and the freedom to build one’s own life. These are not new ideas. They are the promises America has made — and too often not kept — to Black families, to Latino families, to working families and everyone across this country. Today, we affirm those promises together. And we call on every leader, every institution and every person of goodwill to add their voice to ours.”
The organizations also called on civic leaders, employers and institutions to endorse the UnidosUS Economic Prosperity Agenda, a values-based framework grounded in communities’ voices and organized around four pillars: housing, jobs, small business and entrepreneurship, and family security. Launched last month, the agenda is designed to propel Latino families — and through them, all of America — toward greater economic stability. Latinos represent 68 million people and 20% of the U.S. population; together they generate $4.1 trillion in economic output, larger than all but four national economies in the world. Investing in this community is not a side bet. It is a central strategy for America’s economic future.
All three organizations urged attendees and online viewers to protect civil rights and advance economic prosperity by raising their voices, registering and exercising their vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
To view the recording of the joint town hall, please click here.
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About UnidosUS
UnidosUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. Since 1968, we have challenged the social, economic and political barriers that affect Latinos through our unique combination of expert research, advocacy, programs and an Affiliate Network of nearly 300 community-based organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. We believe in an America where economic, political and social progress is a reality for all Latinos and we collaborate across communities to achieve it. For more information on UnidosUS, visit www.unidosus.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Threads.
About the National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 93 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of nearly 4 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Facebook, Threads, Instagram and YouTube: @NatUrbanLeague.
About SEIU-USWW
SEIU-United Service Workers West represents more than 50,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, stadium and arena employees and other property service workers across California. The Mission of SEIU-USWW is to lead the way to a more just and humane society; building power for all service workers by developing member leadership and activism, winning strong contracts, organizing unorganized service workers, building political and community power, and engaging in direct action that demonstrates our strength and determination to win.