ANTONIA HERNANDEZ
(Antonia Hernández)
Antonia Hernández (born 1948) is a Latina attorney, activist, and philanthropist. She currently serves as the President and CEO of the California Community Foundation, which is a non-profit organization focused on addressing the needs of marginalized communities in the Los Angeles area, specifically people of color and low income. Hernández is notable through her involvement in Madrigal v. Quilligan (1975), the class-action lawsuit filed by ten women of Mexican descent who were involuntarily sterilized at the Los Angeles County Hospital. She is also the first Latina to serve as staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee from 1979–1980. In addition, Hernández served on the campaign team for Senator Ted Kennedy in his 1980 presidential campaign. She previously served as president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) from 1985 to 2004.
