A Statement from Brenda Victoria Castillo, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
On August 3, 2019, a white supremacist drove to El Paso, Texas hellbent on killing as many Latinos as possible in a mass shooting. Twenty three people were murdered and 23 people were injured in the massacre that took place that day in one of the most significant racial attacks against Latinos in U.S. history. Two years later, the shooter pleaded guilty to 90 counts of federal hate crimes and firearms violations. This domestic terrorist has yet to show guilt or remorse for his actions and the pain he has caused for the families affected and Latinos across the country.
The hateful and heavily seeded anger towards Latinos by the shooter was not a secret; this massacre was exacerbated by the racist and antagonistic rhetoric vocalized by Donald Trump and radical conservatives and the normalization of anti-immigrant and dehumanizing narratives targeting Latinos. Online disinformation and hate, like the 2,000+ fear mongering ads spread by the Trump Administration on Facebook about the “invasion” of the U.S. Southern border, are part of a media ecosystem that catalyzes hate crimes and violence.
NHMC remains a vocal and steadfast advocate for the Latino community against hate and disinformation, and we will continue to work towards a world that includes Latinos as the rule and not the exception. While we cannot bring the lives lost in El Paso back, NHMC can ensure that we honor their lives with progress and advocacy.
Yours in the Movement,
Brenda Victoria Castillo
President & CEO
National Hispanic Media Coalition
