Molina said that in the absence of a single institution or network acting as a unifying force—such as the role the church has traditionally played in the black community—leadership on core issues must come from all quarters of the Latino community.

“There is not going to be a Martin Luther King...There are going to be different kinds of leadership,” Molina said.

But Echaveste said that “you can’t just wait for a leader.”

“We are not standing up, assertive and aggressive. This apathy is the most dangerous thing to a democracy,” she added.

Student audience members said that the panelists provided inspiration for future action.

“To see two latinas who came of age in the Sixties was amazing. But seeing them so concerned was also scary because it means that there is still much to do,” said RAZA President Priscilla J. Orta ’05.

Eric Shaw, a graduate of the School of Design, said the discussion was “a true call to arms.”

Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government organized the event.