María Teresa Kumar (née María Teresa Petersen; 1974) is a
Colombian American
Colombian Americans ( es, Colomboestadounidenses), are Americans who trace their ancestry to Colombia. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of full or partial Colombian descent or to someone who has immigrated to the United Sta ...
political rights activist and President and CEO of the Latino political organization,
Voto Latino. Kumar was named by
Elle Magazine
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
in 2013 as one of the ten most influential women in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and by Hispanic Business in 2017 as one of the 100 most influential
Latinos in America.
Early life and education
Maria Teresa (Petersen) Kumar was born in
Bogotá, Colombia, in 1974, but grew up in
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Sonoma is one of the principal cities of California's Wine Country and the center of the Sonoma Valley AVA. Sonoma's p ...
. Kumar spent her summers in Colombia when she was young.
Kumar attended the
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The inst ...
where she received a BA in International Relations. She obtained a Master's degree in Public Policy from the
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
.
Career
Kumar began her career as a legislative aide to Democratic congressman
Vic Fazio
Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...
.
She later attended the
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, where she recognized the importance of technology in improving the gap in equality in Latino lives. She began working with the Latino advocacy group, Voto Latino in 2004.
Currently based in Washington, D.C., the organization uses marketing campaigns and technology to encourage Latinos to participate in the political process.
In the beginning, Voto Latino's mission was to increase
voter registration
In electoral systems, voter registration (or enrollment) is the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register (or enroll) on an electoral roll, which is usually a prerequisite for being entitled or permitted to vote.
The r ...
among Latinos in the U.S. Later, Voto Latino partnered with the U.S.
Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal Statistical System of the United States, U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the Americans, Ame ...
to increase participation in the
2010 United States census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
. "To spread the word, Voto Latino and
MTV’s Latino channel Tr3s aired public service announcements, created a hashtag on Twitter and established a nationwide network of bloggers". Kumar and her team also launched the 'Be Counted' campaign, which included a bilingual mobile phone app which enabled Latinos to fill out the 2010 census on their phones.
The organization is also currently assisting Latinos in navigating the
health exchanges associated with the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
.
Under Kumar's direction, Voto Latino played a primary role in registering over half a million new Latino voters.
In June, 2018, the organization announced that it has set a new goal of registering one million voters by 2020 and is planning to spend $7 million on the project.
As a guest host on MSNBC, Kumar argued on November 20, 2022, that gerrymandering was a factor in Gov.
Ron DeSantis
Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician serving as the 46th governor of Florida since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, DeSantis represented Florida's 6th district in the U.S. House of Repres ...
’ re-election, despite his race being a statewide office.
Awards and recognition
In 2010, Kumar was the recipient of an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis category for her role as co-creator and host of the two hour
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
television special, ''Beyond Borderlines''. It was the first televised English-speaking
town hall which focused on Latino issues in the United States and the emerging role of Latinos in politics.
Kumar was named by ''Elle Magazine'' in 2013 as one of the ten most influential women in
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
In 2017, Kumar was named by
Hispanic Business among the 100 most influential Latinos in America.
She was named a
National Women's History Alliance Honoree in 2020.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, María Teresa
American democracy activists
Activists for Hispanic and Latino American civil rights
Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area
University of California, Davis alumni
Harvard University alumni
People from Sonoma, California
1974 births
Living people
MSNBC people