FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
Angelo Falcón, passionate activist in Latino justice and policy, died May 24th
Washington, D.C., May 28, 2018 – Angelo Falcón, 66, passed away May 24th from a fatal heart attack. Falcon was a talented political scientist and journalist. He founded the National Institute for Latino Policy in the early 1980’s and served as the institution’s president until his death. This accomplishment is only one example of Falcón’s efforts to bring Puerto Rico and the entire Latino community into policy decision making with the leaders in the US. Peers knew and remember Angelo Falcón as an influential activist and a passionate friend.
“Angelo was the exemplar of NAHJ, not just a journalist but an advocate for Latinos in policy and representation in the United States,” said Brandon Benavides, NAHJ President. “He gave a voice to our community that remains in action even after his passing.”
Falcón, born in Puerto Rico, grew up in New York City, attending Columbia College of Columbia University and developing his passion for activism in the Latino community. Later, he attended State University of New York at Albany to pursue his masters and doctorate degree in political science.
While teaching in New York City in the 80s, Falcón organized what was then a volunteer organization called the Institute of Puerto Rican Policy. This institute became a nonprofit corporation and after many changes, was eventually renamed the National Institute for Latino Policy. This nationally recognized policy center focused on addressing Latino issues in the US was led by Angelo Falcón for over 30 years.
Through many other mediums, Falcón was a challenger of elected officials and policy makers and an advocate for Latino, specifically Puerto Rican, policy leaders and influencers. He was a board member of the National Hispanic Media Coalition and was an author, involved in the writing of a couple books aimed to connect Puerto Ricans and the US in policy and community. Falcón also created the Latino Policy Network to bring relevant policy and political information to the Latino community, which has become an incredibly influential online network of Latino leaders in the US.
“Angelo was an outstanding researcher and advocate for accurate information about the Latino community. He was never afraid to ‘tell it like it is’ and was always available to the news media, providing on-point commentary like no other,” commented Patricia Guadalupe. “He was friendly, approachable, and with a biting and sarcastic sense of humor that will be sorely missed. His death is a huge loss to the journalism world and to the Latino community. He is truly irreplaceable.”
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About NAHJ The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,200 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.