This post originally appeared on the National Hispanic Media Coalition blog.

On Thursday, the National Hispanic Media Coalition co-hosted a day of action in Washington, D.C., bringing a delegation of 13 racial justice and civil rights leaders from across the country to meet with state representatives and tell their personal stories about why an open Internet is critical for communities of color.

Additionally, NHMC and Presente.org, in collaboration with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net), hosted a lunchtime briefing entitled “What’s Next for Net Neutrality and Why It Matters For Communities Of Color: Why FCC Rules Under Title II Will Protect Consumers, Innovation, Investment and the Internet.”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler recently announced he will propose the strongest Net Neutrality rules using the Commission’s Title II authority. The FCC is scheduled to vote on those rules on February 26, making NHMC’s day of action all the more timely. NHMC is supportive of FCC action, which is projected to extend protections to mobile broadband, and used the day of action to call on Congress to support the FCC’s proposal

NHMC had a packed house at the lunch briefing, with nearly 100 guests showing up for Congressman Ellison’s enthusiastic speech about how Net Neutrality is a civil rights issue and to engage with an NHMC-moderated panel. Panelists included Mariana Ruiz, managing director of Presente.org, Brandi Collins, media justice director of ColorOfChange.org, Cayden Mak, new media director of 18 Million Rising, and Steven Renderos, national organizer for MAG-Net.

The panel shed light on why Title II is critical to communities of color, who are overwhelmingly on the wrong side of the digital divide. By reclassifying broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, as the FCC is poised to do, the FCC will then have authority to treat Internet service providers as common carriers and impose rules against blocking lawful sites and engaging in discriminatory practices like creating paid “fast lanes.”

“Title II reclassification is in the best interests of our community, and for the preservation of key rights as emerging players in the American political landscape,” said Cayden Mak of 18 Million Rising.

“Net Neutrality is a critical step in closing the economic, educational, and other racial equality gaps that disadvantage communities of color,” said Steven Renderos of MAG-Net, “That is why our network of 175 grassroots organizations across the country has been organizing for strong and enforceable Net Neutrality rules at the FCC. It is the only way to ensure our communities can rely on an Internet free from discrimination.

And, as NHMC has reiterated, Title II is the most legally sustainable way for the FCC to protect Net Neutrality.

As part of the day of action, the diverse delegates employed storytelling to advocate for Title II reclassification in 17 meetings with Representatives from Arizona, California, New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The racial justice delegates included Andrea Figueroa from Martinez Street Women’s Center in San Antonio, Texas who talked about how an Open Internet is an empowering tool in her community, which relies on the web for discovering health and educational resources they otherwise would not have access to.

Further, George Lujan from South West Organizing Project in New Mexico urged congressional leaders to fight for Net Neutrality because his community depends on an open Internet to tell police brutality stories overlooked by the sole newspaper in his town. Likewise, Jason Aragon of Pan Left Productions in Arizona depends on Net Neutrality to help traditionally repressed communities of color depict their stories in their own words. Pan Left Productions provides free video equipment to people who are frequently shut out from or inaccurately portrayed in traditional media like television news. Jason also uses the Internet to create instant organizing around border patrol detentions and as a justice-seeking grassroots tool.

These are just some of the powerful stories the delegates chronicled for their Representatives. As part of the day of action, NHMC also distributed 100 copies of an educational two-pager called “The 6 Most Important Things to Know About Net Neutrality, Title II Reclassification, and Communities of Color,” and provided Congress and briefing attendees with the ever-growing list of more than 150 leaders and organizations that support the FCC’s proposal to reclassify broadband under Title II of the Communications Act.

On Thursday, the National Hispanic Media Coalition co-hosted a day of action in Washington, D.C., bringing a delegation of 13 racial justice and civil rights leaders from across the country to meet with state representatives and tell their personal stories about why an open Internet is critical for communities of color.

Additionally, NHMC and Presente.org, in collaboration with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net), hosted a lunchtime briefing entitled “What’s Next for Net Neutrality and Why It Matters For Communities Of Color: Why FCC Rules Under Title II Will Protect Consumers, Innovation, Investment and the Internet.”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler recently announced he will propose the strongest Net Neutrality rules using the Commission’s Title II authority. The FCC is scheduled to vote on those rules on February 26, making NHMC’s day of action all the more timely. NHMC is supportive of FCC action, which is projected to extend protections to mobile broadband, and used the day of action to call on Congress to support the FCC’s proposal

NHMC had a packed house at the lunch briefing, with nearly 100 guests showing up for Congressman Ellison’s enthusiastic speech about how Net Neutrality is a civil rights issue and to engage with an NHMC-moderated panel. Panelists included Mariana Ruiz, managing director of Presente.org, Brandi Collins, media justice director of ColorOfChange.org, Cayden Mak, new media director of 18 Million Rising, and Steven Renderos, national organizer for MAG-Net.

The panel shed light on why Title II is critical to communities of color, who are overwhelmingly on the wrong side of the digital divide. By reclassifying broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act, as the FCC is poised to do, the FCC will then have authority to treat Internet service providers as common carriers and impose rules against blocking lawful sites and engaging in discriminatory practices like creating paid “fast lanes.”

“Title II reclassification is in the best interests of our community, and for the preservation of key rights as emerging players in the American political landscape,” said Cayden Mak of 18 Million Rising.

“Net Neutrality is a critical step in closing the economic, educational, and other racial equality gaps that disadvantage communities of color,” said Steven Renderos of MAG-Net, “That is why our network of 175 grassroots organizations across the country has been organizing for strong and enforceable Net Neutrality rules at the FCC. It is the only way to ensure our communities can rely on an Internet free from discrimination.

And, as NHMC has reiterated, Title II is the most legally sustainable way for the FCC to protect Net Neutrality.

As part of the day of action, the diverse delegates employed storytelling to advocate for Title II reclassification in 17 meetings with Representatives from Arizona, California, New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The racial justice delegates included Andrea Figueroa from Martinez Street Women’s Center in San Antonio, Texas who talked about how an Open Internet is an empowering tool in her community, which relies on the web for discovering health and educational resources they otherwise would not have access to.

Further, George Lujan from South West Organizing Project in New Mexico urged congressional leaders to fight for Net Neutrality because his community depends on an open Internet to tell police brutality stories overlooked by the sole newspaper in his town. Likewise, Jason Aragon of Pan Left Productions in Arizona depends on Net Neutrality to help traditionally repressed communities of color depict their stories in their own words. Pan Left Productions provides free video equipment to people who are frequently shut out from or inaccurately portrayed in traditional media like television news. Jason also uses the Internet to create instant organizing around border patrol detentions and as a justice-seeking grassroots tool.

These are just some of the powerful stories the delegates chronicled for their Representatives. As part of the day of action, NHMC also distributed 100 copies of an educational two-pager called “The 6 Most Important Things to Know About Net Neutrality, Title II Reclassification, and Communities of Color,” and provided Congress and briefing attendees with the ever-growing list of more than 150 leaders and organizations that support the FCC’s proposal to reclassify broadband under Title II of the Communications Act.