Linda infused both me and CADRE with a bold courage, to use the compassion that made us kindred spirits, as the most valuable tool for organizing parents, first to understand parents’ hearts and souls, second, to not stop until heart and soul could be transformed into toughness of mind, a strategy for taking the negative and often racist perceptions of parents and turning them on their head.

Linda never backed down from learning about everything that stood in her way as a parent of five children in South LA, living on an extremely volatile neighborhood block. Her love of learning, and her faith in her own ability to learn anything and everything is reflected in CADRE to this day.

Our number one priority, of engaging parents in critical analysis, of themes across their personal stories, of different kinds of data, of different political strategies, of ideal and less-than-ideal scenarios and planning for all of them, of the alliances we build, of whether or not we compromise — this has become the foundation of how we organize parents at CADRE, rooted in Linda’s survival strategy as a parent. Door knocking? Finding parent leaders out of the woodwork, even the alienated ones? That was Linda too. Developing parent leaders by seeing the whole parent? Linda.

All of us who have received fulfillment from being a part of CADRE owe Linda, and honor her, all at once.

And never forgetting the power of Linda and Kenny…

In 2014 we re-named our Legacy Award to the Rosalinda and Kenneth Hill Legacy Award, in honor of Linda and her husband, CADRE founding core leader Kenneth Hill, both of whom passed away in 2012, approximately eight months apart.

This award will be presented to veteran and longtime CADRE parent leaders who, in the same spirit as Linda and Kenny, exemplify faith in CADRE’s vision, belief in the power of parents, and love for the community – and are setting an example for generations to come.