Carina Powers is founder of Latinos for Medical Freedom, a grassroots organization committed to ending the exploitation of Latino communities in California and beyond. Having grown up in Salinas, California’s “salad bowl,” she saw firsthand the struggles of the Latino community when it came to farming and workers’ rights. As a young girl, Powers marched with her father alongside Cesar Chavez while they fought to protect California’s vital farming communities. As a founder of LMF she grew up understanding the power in uniting to stand up against injustice.
Powers was inspired to form Latinos for Medical Freedom after witnessing the violation of informed consent in Latino communities. A primary focus of Latinos for Medical Freedom is ensuring that complete and up-to-date medical literature on pharmaceuticals and environmental toxins is provided in Spanish. Latino communities are sick. Latino children are sick. We have questions and we want answers. It is the mission of Latinos for Medical Freedom to right this wrong.
While working boots on the ground in California, LMF found a climate of discrimination and barriers to the position of reason around complex health conditions. California leaders speak often of a “California for All,” “Health for All,” and a strong commitment to protecting the disenfranchised. Latinos for Medical Freedom has identified glaring gaps in this inclusive policy that politicians claim to embrace. LMF works to cast a light on these failures and believe that awareness brought to these inconsistencies will bring meaningful solutions in alignment with the values that are universally shared. It is LMF’s mission to hold corporations, regulatory agencies, and elected officials at all levels of government accountable to the people.
Latinos for Medical Freedom is not exclusive to the Latino Community. It is an inclusive, non-violent, peaceful organization whose objective is to collaborate and move forward in unity with people of all ethnic backgrounds. They fight for medical freedom for all people, while bringing the plight of the Latino community out of the shadows.
