Well Deserved Honor

Credit the tenacity of MTF grantee Olga Briseño for the U.S. Postal Service's decision to issue a 2008 commemorative stamp honoring legendary journalist Ruben Salazar. The former Los Angeles Times columnist was killed at age 42 covering the East Los Angeles riots in 1970. His courageous efforts to chronicle the complexity of race relations inspired many journalists and students, especially Mexican-Americans. Briseño, now director of the University of Arizona's Media, Democracy & Policy Initiative, spearheaded the two-year research and marketing blitz required to sway the Postal Service.