By Leonard Rodriguez
This column highlights inspiring stories of Latino leaders. For more than 50 years, Latino men and women have positively influenced the face of United States society. Let us celebrate these outstanding hispanics.
Ruben Salazar
Before leaving the Los Angeles Times to direct the Spanish language station KMEX-TV in 1969, Ruben Salazar was the first Mexican-American journalist to be promoted as a foreighn correspondent for a major newspaper. Known for giving the Mexican-American community a voice, Salazar reported on violence against Hispanics, making the public aware of the dual police standards facing Latinos. On Aug. 29, 1970, while covering the Chicano Anti-Vietnam War Moratorium in East L.A., Salazar was killed by police breaking up the demonstration. A martyr of the Chicano movement, he came to symbolize police brutality and suppression of the Hispanic Civil Rights movement.
