Lydia Walther-Rodriguez
Chief of Organizing and LeadershipShe/Her/Ella
Lydia is a proud Afro-Latina immigrant from Panama, who oversees CASA’s organizing and leadership development efforts alongside a powerhouse team of organizing and leadership directors, 30+ organizers, and 15+ promoters, charged with building grassroots, collective people powered – member committees which drive progressive social and racial justice campaigns at the local, state, and national levels. CASA’s member-led organization currently stands at over 122,000 lifetime Latino, immigrant, and working-class members across 46 US states, with offices in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia.
Prior to her current role, Lydia served as CASA’s Baltimore/Central Maryland Region Director, Community Organizer, and Lead Organizer. She began advocating for immigrant rights with CASA as a student activist at Morgan State University, fighting for the Maryland DREAM Act in 2010. She has developed and overseen CASA’s multiracial organizing efforts, advanced its Police accountability and Reform campaigns, and expanded its youth college access programs. Lydia holds a Political Science and International Relations degree from Morgan State University.
Media Mentions:
Baltimore Magazine: She’s Got Next: Meet 30 Women Shaping Baltimore’s Future
Baltimore Sun: In a time of crisis, solidarity grows between Black and Latino activists in Baltimore
On The Record: The Latinx Community Works To Fend Off The Coronavirus
Governing Magazine: Maryland Lawmakers Want to Limit ICE Access to MVA Database
