The Hispanic Leadership Forum (HLF) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Dallas recently joined forces to create the Greater North Texas Coalition. The new coalition will serve as a united platform from which the two groups mutually will deal with impacting economic, political and employment issues that affect their target audiences.

The vision and mission of the Greater North Texas Coalition is to address and bring resolutions to regional disparities that include economic segregation, economic development, employment, housing, health and political representation.

The vision of the coalition is that though at times depicted as ethnic groups with opposing agendas, the leaders from the predominately Hispanic and African-American communities are working together to develop a long-term agenda to address a variety of issues affecting the North Texas region. One of these issues is to protect the most important resource that we posses-our children. Therefore we have created a program called Operation Save the Children and Grandchildren. Whether it is in the educational, political or economic arena the Greater North Texas Coalition will strive to make changes that will benefit our children.

The mission of the joint venture is to increase quality home ownership for minorities, address economic trade deficits that exist amongst the public and private sector with the Latino and African American communities, expand the diversity in the political arena, and to broaden the access to public, private and governmental employment.

The Greater North Texas Coalition was born out of the Minority Leadership Summit held on May 2, 2008 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in which community leaders from various organizations discussed these topics.

The coalition is currently led by Michael A. Gonzales, Chairman of the HLF and Derrick Brown, President of the SCLC-Dallas Chapter.

The HLF is coalition of leaders from various businesses, political, legal, educational and social organizations dedicated to the promotion of Latino advancement. The HLF was founded on January 26, 2008 as leaders from over 20 Hispanic civic and professional organizations as well as members of the judiciary educators and community activist-from retirees to high school students who felt the need to pursue change, as well as a sense of frustration that their voices were not being heard.

The SCLC of Dallas is a social change organization that primarily focuses on issues that inhibit the equal treatment of all humanity, especially the African-American Community. It is a part of the national organization began in 1957 under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in Montgomery Alabama following the successful boycott of the Montgomery Transport Company. Over the years, this group spread its wings to establish action centers throughout the nation. The Dallas Chapter is a conduit through which alliances are built; programs are developed to provoke positive change in the mindset of the family unit, the youth, and the community at-large.

Together these two organizations will work collectively through the Greater North Texas Coalition in partnership with other Hispanic and African-American leaders and organizations to effectuate policy that will bring resolutions that will benefit the entire region.