Maria Salmeron Melendez, an advocate for Black, Indigenous, and intersectional Latine communities, is an Afro-Indigenous, Garifuna immigrant from Honduras. Her profound commitment to closing opportunity gaps through policy reform is grounded in her life experiences. A recipient of the 2016 National Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Award for Education, Maria’s dedication to promoting educational equity in Greater DC exemplifies her mission. Holding a master’s in education policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she recently served as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellow in the United States Congress. Her journey signifies her commitment to a more equitable and inclusive world.