Tag: La Raza

Nashville La Raza Affiliate Conexión Américas Hires Juliana Ospina Cano as Director, Who Vows to Continue Social Justice Work

Jason M. Reynolds

  Juliana Ospina Cano will lead Conexión Américas, a Nashville Latino advocacy group, as its new executive director beginning today. Ospina Cano succeeds Renata Soto, who co-founded Conexión Américas 17 years ago. “Juliana is the ideal leader for Conexión Américas’ next chapter,” said Board President Terry Maroney. “She brings with her a sharp mind honed by her doctoral studies, an empathetic heart grounded in her own immigrant experience, and deep knowledge of Nashville, the state and Conexión Américas. Her combination of vision, skill, work ethic and history with this organization will be invaluable resources for our community.” Ospina Cano said, “It is with great excitement that I come home to Nashville. I look forward to re-joining an organization that views economic, civic and social integration as the vehicle to equip, inspire and mobilize immigrant families to fulfill their potential while celebrating their roots. My commitment to these values has been the compass guiding my professional and personal journey. I look forward to honoring Renata’s unparalleled legacy and serving the Tennessee community alongside Conexión Américas’ team, Board of Directors and partners.” Conexión Américas is an affiliate of The National Council of La Raza. The National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino…

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Phil Bredesen Ally ‘La Raza Renata’ Would Welcome Members of Migrant Army, Which DHS Says Includes Criminals, Marching Through Mexico from Honduras Who Come to Nashville

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen ally Renata Soto is issuing a clarion call to the criminal migrant army marching toward America’s southern border. Soto on Monday tweeted in Spanish that Bredesen’s Senate race opponent, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) gave her heartburn. https://twitter.com/RenataSotoTN/status/1052045499870732293 Soto is the immediate past chairman of the George Soros-supported national group formerly known as La Raza and founder of Nashville’s Conexion Americas. The Tennessean quoted her Tuesday as encouraging the criminal migrant army: The Honduran migrants highlight the United State’s need for sound refugee and asylum policies, she told the newspaper. “‘We must continue to be a beacon of hope for families and children who, due to violence and dire circumstances, are forced to flee their homes,’ Soto said in an email,” the newspaper said. The Washington Examiner reported Tuesday that the group is composed of multi-national criminals, quoting the Department of Homeland Security. “@DHSgov can confirm that there are individuals within the caravan who are gang members or have significant criminal histories,” DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton wrote in a series of tweets Tuesday evening. “Citizens of countries outside Central America, including countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and elsewhere are currently traveling through Mexico toward the…

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Nashville’s ‘La Raza Renata’ Endorses Phil Bredesen, Tweets in Spanish ‘Blackburn Me Da Heartburn’

Jason M. Reynolds

Renata Soto, the immediate past chairman of the George Soros-supported national group formerly known as La Raza and founder of Nashville’s Conexion Americas, has endorsed Democrat Phil Bredesen for Senate, claiming in a Spanish language tweet that Republican nominee U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) gives her heartburn. https://twitter.com/RenataSotoTN/status/1052045499870732293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Soto is the immediate past chairman of the board of the Trump-bashing group now known as UnidosUS (the new name adopted by the George Soros-funded National Council of LaRaza in July 2017), and founder and head of Conexion Americas, the Nashville affiliate of UnidosUS. She was one of the featured speakers at the February kickoff of the Transit for Nashville campaign to support the passage of the tax increasing transit plan on the May 1 referendum in Nashville, The Tennessee Star reported at the time. Soto is also the leader of the Nashville “Indivisible” anti-Trump campaign, and a close ally of disgraced former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean and former gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd have been huge fans of Soto’s. The same day the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed President Trump’s executive authority to restrict entry into the U.S. from designated countries, “La Raza Randy” Boyd’s collaborator Soto rallied…

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OFF THE RECORD: Commenter Nails Gubernatorial Candidate ‘La Raza Randy’

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee Star readers are the bomb when it comes to creative, but fact-anchored monikers for Tennessee’s public figures. Yesterday’s story about gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his quarter of a million dollar donation to a Nashville La Raza affiliate while still not dissing Metro Nashville for wanting to formally become the MOST LIBERAL SANCTUARY CITY IN THE U.S., seems to have inspired a Tennessee Star reader to comment on our story Monday, “Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Donated $250,000 to La Raza Affiliate And Has Not Renounced Nashville Sanctuary City Ordinance,” that “La Raza Randy . . . shows his real colors.” So now, “La Raza Randy” joins “Boss Doss” in our list of favorite fact-anchored monikers, because public figures aren’t entitled to be insulated from ridicule for the decisions they may ultimately wish they hadn’t made. The Tennessee Star is in the business of reporting FACTS. Unfortunately, we can’t help it if the FACTS show that when Boyd made his $250,000 donation, “the single largest individual gift” to the coffers of a named La Raza affiliate the founder and director of the Nashville organization was also already…. the Chairman of the Board of….La Raza! “La Raza Randy”? Sort of rolls off your tongue.  

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Boyd Campaign Silent on Questions Related to Conexion Americas Donation

Chris Alto

One year after Renata Soto, founder and director of Nashville-based Conexion Americas was elected as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated $250,000 to Soto’s organization. In a letter signed by Soto the Boyd donation was described as an “historic investment” and as “the single largest individual gift” to Conexion Americas in its 14-year history. Soto’s other organization, NCLR has been generously funded by George Soros. On Friday, March 10, 2017, The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign’s communications director the following questions: Can you confirm whether Randy Boyd knew about Renata Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when he donated the $250K to her Nashville organization? Was he aware that Ms. Soto’s Nashville organization is a named affiliate of NCLR? If he was not aware of Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR, would he have still made the donation had he known about her leadership role with NCLR? Did Randy Boyd know about Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when she was asked to join the board of Complete Tennessee? Does Randy Boyd support the Governor’s fuel tax proposal? The Boyd campaign has not responded.

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Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Supports La Raza Chairman’s Nashville Organization

Chris Alto
TEnnessee Star

In September 2016, gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated a quarter of a million dollars to Conexion Americas, a non-profit Latino advocacy organization headquartered in Nashville founded by Renata Soto. A letter signed by Soto described the “historic investment” as “the single largest individual gift” to her organization in its 14-year history. Boyd made the donation while he was serving as the Haslam-appointed Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.  He resigned from his post as commissioner in January, and announced several days ago that he will run for governor in 2018. The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign to confirm the $250,000 donation, but received no response prior to publication deadline. Soto and Boyd met when they were both enrolled in the 2013 inaugural class of Leadership Tennessee, a 10-month leadership education program hosted by Lipscomb University. The program was founded and is funded in part by The Haslam Foundation, Haslam family’s Flying Pilot J, the Hyde Family Foundation and the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, whose board at one time included Haslam. Cathy Cate is the executive director of Leadership Tennessee.  Her husband Mark served as the governor’s chief of staff during Haslam’s first term. The Boyds’ donation was celebrated on…

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