San Antonio’s Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI) is the nation’s first museum and archive focused on preserving and sharing the history of Mexican American civil rights.
MACRI’s annual symposium brings speakers from all over the country to speak about contemporary civil rights issues and how they affect people today.
MACRI’s Executive Director Sarah Zenaida Gould said the two-day 2026 symposium will highlight relevant and important work that is being done now.
“We really want to communicate to folks that civil rights isn’t only what lawyers do,” Gould said. “Civil rights happens across the board; If you’re in the medical field, if you’re in the financial field, if you’re in the arts. There’s so many ways people intersect with civil rights.”
Henry Jiménez — president and CEO of Minnesota-based Propel Nonprofits — is one of several speakers featured at the symposium. His panel will focus on Latino economic prosperity in the age of ICE.
Jiménez said many Latino businesses in Minnesota were negatively impacted following increased immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota earlier this year.
“This needs to be documented,” said Jiménez. “We definitely need to remember this and address this in whatever way we can.”
Other speakers include San Antonio Congressman Joaquín Castro, comedian and actor Cristela Alonzo, and civil and human rights leader Carmen Perez-Jordan, among others.
MACRI’s free 2026 Symposium will be held May 29-30 at Texas Public Radio headquarters downtown.
Register for in-person or virtual admission here. It will also be live-streamed on MACRI’s YouTube channel here.
