Despite paying 4 billion dollars per year in federal taxes, residents of Washington, DC have no voice in the U.S. government with no vote in Congress. Yet the city’s budget is controlled by Congress, which has actively prevented progress in the District of Columbia, such as stopping gun control initiatives. Mónica Palacio explains how this inequality came to be, and like other civil rights injustices before, why it needs to change. Mónica Palacio has served as the Director of the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights (OHR), the District’s civil rights enforcement agency, since March 2014. Mónica brings twenty years of experience in civil rights, strengthening communities in crisis and capacity building for social justice organizations. She brings extensive experience advocating in partnership with under-represented and disenfranchised communities through issue-based coalitions, government and community partnerships, and social justice organizations at the local and national level.
