Color, language, heritage, place, and time – they all mean something in the life of a child. They mean even more to a child with a Hispanic/Latinx background and language who happens to be in a school system in the middle of the United States. If the child is the center of the wheel, then the spokes are the parents, the teachers, the administrators, the counselors, and everyone whose job it is to raise and educate this child to be able to function as a citizen in the modern-day Heartland. The disconnect is obvious to those exposed to the culture within a culture. A Spanish-speaking family with Hispanic values has to navigate a system skewed towards English language and culture – with a Midwestern twang – for everything from health care to groceries to child care and education. It can be daunting, to say the least. 

Enter Edgar Palacios, the founder of Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC), whose mission is to “Work tirelessly to retain and increase the representation of Latinx education professionals in K-12. Our vision is to build a world where Latinx Educators are abundant and thriving.” Who is Edgar Palcios and why did he think this was necessary? Well, he was born in Miami, Florida, to Nicaraguan immigrant parents, who fled during the Civil War. In his world, he was routinely mixing and mingling with a population that was made up of at least 70 percent of people of Hispanic or Latino descent. With a move to the Pacific Northwest, and eventually Missouri, Edgar found out what it is like to have no one recognize his heritage or his language. Fast forward to a bachelor’s degree from UMKC in voice performance and then a master’s degree from Rockhurst University in business administration with an accounting emphasis, he has a new path. He carved out a career with The Central Exchange (chief engagement officer), Connections to Success (senior director, resource development and community engagement), and Blue Hills Community Services (executive director) before realizing that he had a passion for helping Hispanic youth that would propel him in a different direction. 

In 2018, he founded the Latinx Education Collaborative and now serves as the chief executive officer and director. In addition to that, he also, in 2021, founded the Revolucion Educativa (RevED), which seeks to take the LEC one step further, and create political engagement and advocacy for the Latinx community in Kansas City. Per Edgar, “We believe that in order to truly effect positive change and improve education outcomes, we must come together and give our communities the tools, resources, and supports needed to build sustained collective power in Kansas City and beyond.”

Let’s back up a bit, first. The real crux of the LEC is to provide resources to Latinx local educators who do not feel seen or heard in their communities. Many times these educators are alone or one of a few educators in a system that does not support their culture. LEC resources include professional development, book clubs, one-on-one mentoring, and leadership coaching, just to name a few. The three pillars of LEC are heart, home, and humanity, providing platforms for educators to instill each of those values in their classrooms. Edgar’s vision towards this idea is brilliant. Affect the change and support the people who support the youth. He saw that the most effective way to make sure children are seen and heard is to make sure educators are seen and heard. According to Edgar, “By building power in the Latino community, we strive to create a more just and equitable education system for all. The work of LEC and RevED are complementary and aim to improve the educational outcomes and experiences of Latinx students through collaborative efforts.”

Edgar Palacios is filling a local void; one that came about naturally, but doesn’t need to exist anymore. He is building an environment for people where they can find their images in the mirror of society. The statistics are alarming – in the United States, approximately eight percent of educators are Latino. In Kansas City, approximately one percent of educators are Latino. Across the board, 25 percent of students are Hispanic/Latino. The chances of Hispanic students seeing themselves in their teachers are slim. The remedy, according to Edgar, is to build the community, delete the isolation factor, encourage the collaboration factor, and bring together arts, education, and advocacy under one umbrella. 

The space that LEC occupies in the northeast section of Our Town is part office, part collaborative work space, and part gallery. He hopes to host more art showings, but there are some wonderful pieces on display currently. One of our favorites is the Caps of Dreams display, which shows decorated graduation caps. On the outside of the building is a mural depicting life in the Hispanic community post-Covid. The mural is the handiwork of IT-RA Icons – Isaac Tapia and Rodrigo Alvarez, commissioned muralists who have 45 works in the Kansas City area and use vibrant colors, evolving designs, and themes that celebrate their communities and honor their identities as artists who migrated to the United States at a very young age. This is exactly the kind of collaboration and investment that Edgar visualizes all of the time. 

For more information, see latinxedco.org or revedkc.org, or itraicons.com.
Featured in the September 30, 2023 issue of The Independent
By Anne Potter Russ