KCETLink Partners with MALDEF to Produce Programming Dedicated to Advancing Latino Social Justice in the U.S.

BURBANK, CA--February 25, 2013--National independent public transmedia

company KCETLink, and MALDEF, the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights

organization, have announced a partnership to curate and produce programming

that spotlights key social justice issues and cultural narratives of the U.S.

Latino experience to a national audience on KCET and Link TV.

The first co-production will be the "MALDEF 2013 Latino State of the Union

York, NY, the program will present the address in its entirety by the Honorable

Hilda L. Solis, and also feature an expert

roundtable convened by MALDEF moderated by Giselle Fernandez, president of

Creative World management.

"We are committed to working with MALDEF to help amplify the voices of the

Latino population and show what an important role, culturally and politically,

they play in the future of our country," said Bohdan Zachary, vice president,

Broadcast, Syndication & Production for KCETLink. "We're delighted to be

able to present the LSOU for the first time to a national audience, and hope

this, and future MALDEF projects we produce, can become a robust source for

information about the Latino community across the country."

"As Latinos prepare to take on an increasingly

critical role in the development of policies affecting all communities in the

United States, this partnership between MALDEF and KCETLink will prove crucial

to ensuring an ongoing appreciation in all sectors of the issues of greatest

concern and the policy solutions to best serve a 21st century United

States," stated Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of MALDEF.

About the Program

The Honorable Hilda L. Solis, former United States

Secretary of Labor, will open the program with the 2013 Latino State of the

Union keynote address in which she reflects on President Barack Obama's State

of the Union address, his vision for the advancement of Latinos in the U.S.

economy and reinvigorating the middle class. 

In her speech, Solis touches upon many critical issues

facing the Latino community in the U.S. from immigration reform with a clear

"pathway to citizenship," to education and job growth. "...In just over a few

years, Latinos will represent well over 20 percent of the U.S. Labor force,"

Solis said in her speech. Noting that one in four American born Latinos drop

out of high school, she called for programs that allow students to earn

credentials in technical fields while also dual enrolling at a community

college. This would emphasize "career choices that can sustain families," she

said. She also spoke of the importance for strengthening Latino worker rights

through grassroots programs given to businesses employing migrant workers.

The keynote by Solis is followed by a brief address by

MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz, who speaks about

the wisdom and discernment of Latino voters as the correct lesson from the

historic impact of Latinos in the 2012 presidential election.  He also discusses the policy expectations of

Latinos with respect to issues such as immigration and education, and advises

policymakers to understand that the Latino community demands real reforms that

are tailored to today's America, including the large and increasing presence of

Latinos. 

Afterward, Giselle Fernandez moderates the 2013

Latino State of the Union roundtable; she is a Five-time

Emmy® award winning journalist, producer, filmmaker, Latin media marketing

entrepreneur and president of Creative World Management. 

The expert panel includes Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF

President and General Counsel; Aracely Muñoz Petrich, Commissioner,

& Chair, National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.

Fernandez leads a robust discussion tied to Solis's address about such

topics as immigration reform, accessible and affordable education and advanced

training, and the inequities of Latino representation in higher office, given

it's the fastest growing population in the U.S. 

"We have just come out of a precedent setting election where the Latino

vote has made a difference in deciding our president. This shift in political

clout has propelled the Latino community's contributions to the national stage

like never before," Fernandez said.

Complete airtimes include:

For more information and additional assets, please visit kcet.org/lsou. 

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ABOUT KCETLink

KCETLink is the new national independent public

transmedia organization formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media.  A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization,

its content is distributed nationally via satellite on DirecTV and DISH, in

Southern and Central California via broadcast, as well as through various

digital delivery systems.  KCET

and Link TV are services of KCETLink. For additional information about

KCETLink productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and

community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.

ABOUT MALDEF

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights

organization. Often described as the "law firm of the Latino community,"

MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community

education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights,

and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.