Three metal binder rings attached to a white paper sheet
Three metal binder rings attached to a white paper sheet
Close-up of a gold faucet handle with a circular opening on a black background
Open blank ring binder with three metal rings on an off-white paper background
Open blank ring binder with three metal rings on an off-white paper background

The Hidden Figures Collection

Black-and-white photo of a costumed stage performance with three people around a large decorated prop labeled “GARDEN.”

Through story, image, voice, and historical record, the Hidden Figures Collection recovers the legacies of Latina Christian women whose faith transformed churches and communities.

Their stories are not only records of what happened. They are invitations to consider what faithfulness requires of us now.

Through story, image, voice, and historical record, the Hidden Figures Collection recovers the legacies of Latina Christian women whose faith transformed churches and communities.

Their stories are not only records of what happened. They are invitations to consider what faithfulness requires of us now.

Torn paper over a yellow note reading “Before we knew what was possible, women were already living it.”

THE STORY BEHIND THE ARCHIVE

The seed for this project was planted years ago in Dr. Liz’s chapter, “The Ladies Are Warriors,” published in Latino Religions and Civic Activism in the United States (Oxford University Press). While researching and writing that chapter, she saw how often Latina women of faith were the backbone of community transformation (organizing, preaching, feeding, advocating, and building) and how rarely they appeared in the official histories.

Latinas of Legacy also grew out of Hidden Figures, her master’s project at Union Theological Seminary.

A labor of love, it uncovered and honored the overlooked spiritual matriarchs of the Pentecostal movement in the Northeast: women whose faith shaped churches and communities but whose names rarely made it into the history books.

What began as academic research has become a living, growing project of storytelling and historical preservation. The Legacy Archive chronicles religious leaders, women and men alike, whose faith bore calluses (fe con callos) because it worked, served, and struggled alongside the people.

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK

✦

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK ✦

THE LEGACY

ARCHIVE

Explore our growing collection of the stories of women how came before us and paved the way.

Smiling woman with an elegant updo, dangling earrings, and a black floral lace top posing for a portrait
Bishop Dr. Rosa Maria Silva
Portrait of a smiling woman wearing a pink cardigan and black top in an oval frame
Rev. Camelia Mercado
Portrait of a smiling older woman with short dark hair wearing a red blazer against a blue-gray background.
Rev. Julie Ramirez
Black-and-white portrait of a smiling woman leaning on the back of a chair.
Rev. Aimee García Cortese
Black-and-white portrait of a smiling woman sitting outdoors in a grassy yard.
Rev. Leoncia Rosado Rousseau
Black-and-white portrait of three smiling young women posing together

SHARE HER STORY

SHARE HER STORY

Collage featuring a vintage family painting, an old newspaper portrait of a violinist, lace doily, and binder clip on a black background

Every woman in the Latinas of Legacy collection has a story worth remembering, and many more are still waiting to be told. Do you know a Latina whose life, work or faith left a lasting mark on her family or community? We’d love to hear about her.

You can submit a new story to the collection, or add photos, memories or details to a story already in the archive. Every contribution helps keep her legacy alive for the next generation.

Submit a Story