25 Of The Most Influential Latinos In Contemporary American Culture (PHOTOS)

25 Of The Most Influential Latinos In Contemporary American Culture (PHOTOS): America is a melting pot of cultures, to be sure.

If that pot were to be broken down according to spices, however, one might find that a significant flavor of modern America stems from that of the Latino community, and the actors, artists, activists, and athletes who champion it.

Countless Latinos have created their own splash in America today, but few have created as large an impact as the 25 on our list. From some familiar faces on film to those working to better the world around us, here are our picks for some of the most influential Latino in contemporary American culture.

Trayvon Martin Final Moments Captured During Phone Call With Teenage Girl

Trayvon Martin Final Moments Captured During Phone Call With Teenage Girl: Just moments before Trayvon Martin was shot and killed, he was on his cellphone talking with a 16-year-old girl. For the first time, the girl is speaking out about the last, horrifying moments of Martin's life.

"He said this man was watching him, so he put his hoodie on. He said he lost the man," the girl told ABC News. "I asked Trayvon to run, and he said he was going to walk fast. I told him to run but he said he was not going to run."

According to accounts gleaned from 911 audio recordings made the night of the killing and the teenage girl's statements, Martin eventually did run. But Zimmerman wasn't far behind, and soon the two would be face to face. Zimmerman, the self-appointed captain of the neighborhood watch, was armed with a 9mm pistol. Trayvon had little more than a bag of candy in his pocket.

"Trayvon said, 'What are you following me for?' and the man said, 'What are you doing here?' Next thing I hear is somebody pushing, and somebody pushed Trayvon because the headset just fell. I called him again and he didn't answer the phone."

Professional Institute Emphasizes Fundraising Basics for Public HBCUs

Professional Institute Emphasizes Fundraising Basics for Public HBCUs: Universities that launch successful fundraising campaigns do more than just pick a financial goal; they mobilize their alumni and supporters in a crusade for their institutions, a University of Miami executive said Monday at a conference for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's member universities.

An effective fundraising campaign is “about more than that big number” because board members, administrators, faculty and staff first must reach broad consensus on the university's overall direction and how additional funds would be spent, said Sergio Gonzalez, senior vice president for university advancement and external affairs at the University of Miami.

A fund-raising campaign ideally “becomes a rallying point” that elevates a university's overall performance in accord with the campaign's visionary written purpose, or “case statement,” Gonzalez said.

Summit Addresses Best Ways to Increase High School Graduation and College Enrollment Rates Among Hispanics

Summit Addresses Best Ways to Increase High School Graduation and College Enrollment Rates Among Hispanics: To increase high school graduation and college completion rates among America’s growing Hispanic population, policymakers, funders and nonprofit leaders need to take a strategic approach and work in unchartered territory.

That was the advice that Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, offered Monday at the second annual Grad Nation Summit staged by America’s Promise Alliance.

“Where’s the greatest need? I always say it’s with the fastest-growing, not the most-established,” Tijerino said during a session titled “Connecting to Post-Secondary Education: Knowledge, Access & Affordability.”

“The problem is most companies or funders don’t focus on the fastest-growing areas,” Tijerino said. “They focus on the easier areas,” he said, referring to cities with well-established Hispanic communities, such as Chicago and San Antonio.

Shaun Winkler, White Supremacist, Running For County Sheriff

Shaun Winkler, White Supremacist, Running For County Sheriff: A white supremacist in northern Idaho wants to be the next Bonner County sheriff, saying federal overreach motivated him to run for the office.

Shaun Winkler of the White Knights of the KKK will go up against incumbent Sheriff Daryl Wheeler and Ponderay police officer Tim Fry in the Republican primary on May 15. The winner of that contest will face independent candidate Rocky Jordan in November.

But the 33-year-old says he's not running to push a white supremacist agenda.

The Aryan Nations is long gone from northern Idaho, but its reputation has lingered to the embarrassment of locals.

Racial Lens Used to Cull Curriculum in Arizona - NYTimes.com

Racial Lens Used to Cull Curriculum in Arizona - NYTimes.com: ...On Jan. 1, after a new state law targeting Mexican-American studies courses that are perceived as antiwhite was upheld, it became illegal to teach “Mexican WhiteBoy” in Tucson’s classrooms. State officials cited the book as containing “critical race theory,” a violation under a provision that prohibits lessons “promoting racial resentment.”

For those who have read the book, like Ana, it is hard to figure. In “Mexican WhiteBoy,” the hero’s hope is to become a pitcher on his school’s baseball team.

The novel’s story is pretty much the American dream.

Andrew LeFevre, a state spokesman, said that while the Education Department had found the Mexican-American studies program out of compliance with the law, it was the Tucson district’s job to decide how to enforce the ruling. “I think the district said: ‘Let’s be safe and collect this material. We don’t want a teacher from Mexican-American studies to use it in an inappropriate fashion.’ ” he said.

The Black Woman’s Burden

The Black Woman’s Burden: Not even the first lady of the most powerful nation in the world is immune to stereotypes that have plagued Black women since first setting foot on American soil. Stereotypes of being the “angry Black woman” and curiosity about differences in appearance still persist from the academy to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

As African-American women rise in ranks, their accomplishments, education, successes and contributions are frequently shadowed by the realities of misperceptions and stigmas that can potentially mar their legacy.

Since slavery and post-slavery, African-American women were seen as strong, but typically had no voice. Even during the feminist movement, African-American women fought for inclusion and were largely overlooked.

Humanist and feminist theorist bell hooks (Gloria Watkins) has been a cultural critic for decades. In her essays Killing Rage: Ending Racism, she wrote about how a Black woman’s rage must always remain repressed, contained, trapped in the realm of the unspeakable. In the title essay, Hooks writes about the “killing rage” — that fierce anger of Black people stung by repeated instances of every day racism.

16 Workers File Racial-Discrimination Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola

16 Workers File Racial-Discrimination Lawsuit Against Coca-Cola: Sixteen black and Hispanic Coca-Cola workers filed a lawsuit against the soda giant claiming they worked in a racist environment, according to the Daily News.

The workers called the environment a "cesspool of racial discrimination." The lawsuit, which was filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, accuses Coca-Cola of relegating minorities to unfavorable assignments and subjecting them to unfair disciplinary action and retaliation for complaining.

The lawsuit concerns two of the company's production plants -- one in Queens, N.Y., and another in Elmsford, N.Y.

The lawyer for the 16 plaintiffs, Steven Morelli, told the Daily News that Coca-Cola described the plaintiffs as "nuts" and "ingrates." He also said that some plaintiffs claimed that they were called racial epithets, and the offenders were not punished.

One of the workers, Sondra Walker, said that when she landed the job she felt like she had won the lotto. But she found that the company she called prestigious is one that practiced racism almost on a daily basis.

Smoking Rates Increase With Perceived Racial Discrimination, Study Says

Smoking Rates Increase With Perceived Racial Discrimination, Study Says: As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rolls out its graphic anti-smoking ad campaign next week, researchers at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis are honing in on what drives people to smoke in the first place.

For racial and ethnic minority groups, discrimination may be a key factor, according to a study of over 85,000 people, which found that the odds of smoking increased among individuals who perceived that they were treated differently because of their race.

In a release highlighting the findings published in the American Journal of Public Health, study author Jason Q. Purnell says the study reveals a potentially high-risk group of individuals who report feeling unfairly treated because of their race and who may be smoking as a means of coping with the psychological distress associated with discrimination.

Trayvon Martin Case: 911 Audio Released Of Teen Shot By Neighborhood Watch Captain

Trayvon Martin Case: 911 Audio Released Of Teen Shot By Neighborhood Watch Captain: Police have released audio 911 tapes in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager killed by a neighborhood watch captain while walking home from a store.

In eight chilling recordings, made the night of February 26, listeners can hear the frightened voices of neighbors calling to report to screams for help, gunshots, and then that someone was dead.

In perhaps the most disturbing of the recordings, a frightened voice cries out for help and pleading “No! No!” and then wailing.

And for the first time, we hear the voice of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who admitted to police that he shot Martin, who was walking home from a convenience store to his father's home in the gated community. Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged in the shooting.

“This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something,” Zimmerman tells the 911 operator. “He’s just staring, looking at all the houses. Now he’s coming toward me. He’s got his hand in his waistband. Something’s wrong with him.”

Fairfax investigates allegation of racially insensitive behavior by high school teacher - The Washington Post

Fairfax investigates allegation of racially insensitive behavior by high school teacher - The Washington Post: Fairfax County school administrators are investigating a student’s allegations of racially insensitive behavior by a veteran English teacher at George C. Marshall High School.

Ninth-grader Jordan Shumate said that during class this month, he was reading aloud a poem by acclaimed African American writer Langston Hughes when his teacher interrupted and directed him to read in a “blacker” style.

“She told me, ‘Blacker, Jordan — c’mon, blacker. I thought you were black,’ ” said Shumate, who is African American.

Shumate told his mother, Nicole Cober Page, about the incident Tuesday. She complained to school administrators.

“We take these allegations very seriously, and we’re investigating,” Principal Jay Pearson said Friday. He declined to provide further details.

Shumate, 14, and his mother identified the teacher as Marilyn Bart. Bart did not respond Thursday or Friday to e-mail and phone inquiries about the incident. Records show that Bart has worked in Fairfax schools since 1990.

Trayvon Martin's Family Calls For FBI Investigation

Trayvon Martin's Family Calls For FBI Investigation: SANFORD, Fla. — The parents of a black teenager fatally shot by a white neighborhood watch volunteer called on the FBI Friday to take over the investigation, saying they no longer trust the local police department.

Meanwhile, the shooter's father is defending his son, saying he is not a racist and did not provoke the altercation that led to the shooting.

The parents of Trayvon Martin told an Orlando press conference they no longer trust the Sanford Police Department. Their 17-year-old son was fatally shot last month as he returned to a Sanford home during a visit from Miami.

Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton accused Sanford police of botching the investigation and criticized them for not arresting 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who says he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense. Martin was not armed. They say the police department hasn't arrested Zimmerman because he is white and their son was black.

Two Hopeful Signs for Americans with Disabilities | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS

Two Hopeful Signs for Americans with Disabilities | The Rundown News Blog | PBS NewsHour | PBS: As the mother of a son with disabilities, I try to keep an eye out for news that affects people in the large community of which he is a part. Today, I spotted two that can potentially spell positive news for the 30 million-plus Americans who have one or more forms of disability, and especially for those with the most serious limitations.

First, today is the day the U.S. Department of Justice has said government and private building owners must make sure there are no architectural barriers that would prevent people with disabilities from using -- and enjoying -- what they have to offer. There were revised federal guidelines adopted in 2010 that put a special focus on recreational facilities -- standards that were not included in the original law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted almost 20 years earlier. These include gyms and fitness centers, swimming pools, bowling alleys, boating docks, amusement parks, and golf courses, both regular and miniature.

Southern Miss issues apology for band's derogatory chant at NCAA tournament - CNN.com

Southern Miss issues apology for band's derogatory chant at NCAA tournament - CNN.com: A university president apologized after members of a school's band yelled "where's your green card" at a Hispanic player during a NCAA basketball tournament game Thursday.

The incident was captured by television cameras and occurred during the Southern Miss and Kansas State game at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As Kansas State point guard Angel Rodriguez shot free throws, several people can clearly be heard saying the green card chant.

Rodriguez did not change his expression during the chants and helped push Kansas State to a victory by scoring 13 points.

Southern Miss president Martha Saunders issued an apology.

Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute Personalizes a Struggle - NYTimes.com

Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute Personalizes a Struggle - NYTimes.com: THE visitors were old and young, black and white, from neighborhoods nearby and cities on the other side of the world. But on a recent morning in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, they were all stopped in their tracks by one particular display.

“It was unnerving,” said Hollie Pich, 21, a white college student from Sydney, Australia.

“Shocking,” said Pat Chambers of Atlanta, a 62-year-old African-American woman.

“Is that real?” asked Kierra Hutchins, 14, one of a group of students from Smith Middle School here, who clustered around the exhibit — a Ku Klux Klan robe and a cross.

The white, hooded robe was donated to the institute anonymously by someone who found it in a trunk in a house. The crude, partly burned wooden cross planted behind it was given to the museum by the local F.B.I. office. Together they stood in a plexiglass case, illuminated by a ghostly ceiling light, at the head of the museum’s aptly named Confrontation Gallery.

Trayvon Martin Case Salts Old Wounds And Racial Tension

Trayvon Martin Case Salts Old Wounds And Racial Tension: When Bill Lee Jr. took over as police chief in Sanford, Fla., last May, he promised to polish the force’s image and clean up an agency that had lost the confidence of many residents, particularly in the black community.

But last month's shooting death of Trayvon Martin -- an unarmed black teenager who police said was shot by a white neighborhood watch captain -- has reopened old wounds. The police have not arrested George Zimmerman, 28, who is white, and who police said admitted to shooting the teen in self-defense.

According to the Sanford Police Department, Zimmerman called 911 before the shooting, identifying Martin as a “suspicious person.” He was then told not to follow the teen, who was walking from a nearby store to his father’s house in the gated community. But Zimmerman trailed Martin, and had a physical confrontation with him, police said. Moments later, Martin was fatally shot.

Graduation Rates of NCAA Women Basketball Players Earns Praise

Graduation Rates of NCAA Women Basketball Players Earns Praise: The college graduation rate for women student athletes playing for NCAA Division I schools in the 2012 national tournament continues to be significantly higher than that for their male counterparts, and the graduation gap between Black women and their female White peers remains narrower than that for Black and White male student-athletes, says a new report issued Wednesday.

“Keeping Score When It Counts,” the annual analysis of NCAA graduation and academic achievement data performed by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, found an 88 percent overall graduation rate for women, compared to 67 percent for men.

As important, the report says, the gap between graduation rates for Black women student-athletes and their White counterparts was 8 percent compared to the 28 percent gap it found between male Black student-athletes and their male White counterparts on Division I tournament teams.
White female basketball student-athletes on the Division I tournament teams graduate at a rate of 93 percent compared to 85 percent for Black women basketball student-athletes, the analysis found. White Male basketball student-athletes on tournament teams graduate at the rate of 88 percent, compared to 60 percent for their male Black counterparts, the study found.

Q&A: NYPD Spies on Muslim Students

Q&A: NYPD Spies on Muslim Students: NEW YORK – A secret New York Police Department program to spy on Muslim businesses, infiltrate mosques and monitor Muslim students on college campuses has ignited a debate over how to strike a balance between civil liberties and national security. The NYPD has vigorously defended the tactics, calling them legal and necessary.

Here's a look, in question-and-answer format, of the key legal and policy issues at play.

Q: What does it mean that police were “spying”?'

A: Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the NYPD has become one of the nation's most aggressive domestic intelligence agencies. A secret squad known as the Demographics Unit deployed plainclothes officers, typically of Arab descent, into Muslim neighborhoods to photograph mosques and catalog everywhere that Muslims congregate, including restaurants, grocery stores, Internet cafes and travel agencies. The officers eavesdropped inside businesses and filed daily reports on the ethnicity of the owner and clientele and what they overheard. The program was not based on allegations of criminal activity and did not stop at the city line.

The goal was to have complete understanding of the Muslim communities in and around New York, to identify problem areas and prevent attacks.

Celebrating the March Toward Equity

Celebrating the March Toward Equity: When the Lady Bison lacrosse team at Howard University took the field last month for its season opener, the team began what has been a compelling chapter in the history of the nation’s only lacrosse team sponsored by an HBCU. The team also contributes to a larger chapter of American history regarding intercollegiate sports.

The team is an example of how the landscape of intercollegiate athletics has changed since Congress passed Title IX, the federal law that bars discrimination based on sex in educational programs at institutions that receive federal funds. Intercollegiate athletics is covered by Title IX, which marks its 40th anniversary this year.

“We’ve come so far,” says Karen Morrison, director of gender initiatives at the NCAA, echoing the sentiments of other Title IX advocates.

Trayvon Martin Case Sent To State Attorney's Office Amid Growing Tension, Questions About Police Probe

Trayvon Martin Case Sent To State Attorney's Office Amid Growing Tension, Questions About Police Probe: Police have turned over the investigation into last month's killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office.

The state will now determine if George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain from Sanford, Fla., will be charged in his death.

According to the Sanford Police Department, Zimmerman admitted that he shot Martin Feb. 26, as the teenager walked from a convenience store back to the gated community where his father lived. Zimmerman, the captain of the neighborhood watch, was patrolling and called 911 to report a suspicious person, police said. He was told to stand down and wait for police, according to officials but instead, Zimmerman followed the teenager, got into a physical altercation and ended up shooting him.