Roberto’s life was dedicated to building the “Beloved Community”* through multi-racial unity, and he deeply believed that poverty, racism and social inequity could only be eradicated if people of all races and backgrounds came together to do so.

It is in honor of Roberto and his legacy that the Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Award will recognize two individuals who have exemplified building the Beloved Community through multi-racial unity, and working to eliminate poverty, racism and social inequity.

El Centro de la Raza will celebrate them and their contributions by making a $1,000 gift in their name to an organization of their choice. These awards made possible by the Marguerite Casey Foundation.  

*Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monserrat Padilla
Monserrat is the Network Coordinator of Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. She has been organizing and mobilizing the LGTBQ community for the past ten years to inform state legislation. Pictured Below: On right.

Shankar Narayan
Shankar is the Technology and Liberty Project Director at the ACLU of Washington. Under the Trump Administration, he mitigated the adverse impacts of big data on immigrant and refugees communities by spearheading the surveillance transparency legislation passed by Seattle City Council. Pictured Below: On left.

Roberto Felipe Maestas Scholarships
In addition to the Legacy Awards, 10 high school students are awarded with the Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Scholarships. Each recipient receives a scholarship of $1,000 to be applied towards post-secondary education in honor of Roberto’s legacy.

These scholarships are made possible by donations to the John Knoll, Starbucks Hora del Cafe and GiveBig Donors.