Alondra Hernández Quiñones on Activism, Justice, and Decolonizing Philanthropy

As part of our "Intersections of Resilience" series, we honor the transformative leadership within our comunidad. For Women's History Month, we’re highlighting stories that illuminate how their lived experiences, unwavering determination, and visionary work are actively reshaping philanthropy's future. Through their journeys, we witness the power of women's leadership to create more equitable, inclusive, and just communities.

From Motherhood to Advocacy: A Matriarchal Awakening

Beneath Alondra Hernández Quiñones' polished professional exterior lies a spirit that defies expectations. While her initial presence radiates precision and directness, those who spend time in her orbit quickly discover someone who embraces her life through humor and genuine connection. “I’m the go-to person for jokes, hugs, and active listening,” she explains with her characteristic warmth. This duality reflects her leadership style, which she describes as “passionate, strategic, and committed."

Alondra's journey to becoming a human rights attorney and reproductive justice advocate began early, shaped by personal experience. At 18, she became a mother and quickly found herself navigating systems that devalued the autonomy of young mothers.

“It was through young motherhood that I became an activist and advocate for sexual and reproductive rights,” she recalls. "Exclusively breastfeeding in a system that constantly devalues the autonomy of young mothers and restricts access to information and resources led me to question the structures that regulate our bodies and decisions."

This awakening is connected to deeper family roots. Alondra speaks reverently of her mother, who raised three daughters alone “in a system that puts women who lead households in precarious situations.” Witnessing her mother's resilience in the face of structural barriers fueled her activism.

In the Footsteps of Revolutionary Women

From a young age, Alondra drew inspiration from home and trailblazing Puerto Rican women whose stories marked a legacy of resistance and transformation. She spoke of Nilita Vientós Gastón, the first woman attorney in Puerto Rico's Department of Justice, who fought not only for legal rights but for cultural sovereignty and the preservation of Puerto Rican identity against colonial impositions.

She honors a descendant of an enslaved woman, Herminia Tormes García, who became Puerto Rico's first female lawyer and municipal judge. Tormes García's work advocating for incarcerated women carries special significance for Alondra, who sees in this legacy important lessons for abolitionist movements today.

“From an abolitionist perspective, Herminia shows us that the law should not be limited to the imposition of punishment but should serve as a tool for social transformation,” Alondra reflected. “Her legacy invites us to ask ourselves: what kind of society are we building when the response to poverty, violence, and marginalization is the deprivation of freedom?”

Alondra also lifted up Dominga de la Cruz Becerril, an Afro-Puerto Rican nationalist whose story has been obscured by racism and patriarchy. Despite founding the Nationalist Party's Nursing Corps, her contributions to Puerto Rico's independence movement have been systematically erased—a pattern Alondra is determined to break. "These women have taught me that justice is not achieved from comfort but through action, resistance, and solidarity."

Reframing Puerto Rico in Philanthropy

It’s no surprise, then, that when asked about narratives surrounding Puerto Rico, she challenged the philanthropic sector to recognize that “Puerto Rico is not the United States.”

This fundamental misunderstanding, she explained, undermines much well-intentioned philanthropic work. "We are a territory that has been invaded and subjected to a colonial regime that has deepened inequality, exploitation, and the impoverishment of our communities." 

The consequences are concrete: philanthropic funds often arrive with restrictions and eligibility criteria that treat Puerto Rico as just another US state, ignoring the colonial reality that shapes every aspect of Puerto Rican life and struggle.

“It is essential for philanthropy to understand that Puerto Rico is part of the Caribbean and Latin America,” Alondra insisted. This reframing connects Puerto Rico's challenges—structural racism, gender violence, the climate crisis, and extractivism—to regional patterns rather than forcing them into U.S.-centric frameworks. 

“True equity in philanthropy is not just about distributing resources but about transforming the power structures that have historically excluded and dispossessed Black and Afro-Latine communities,” she states. This means recognizing that funding isn't charity but a form of historical reparation for centuries of colonialism, enslavement, and structural racism. It means dismantling bureaucratic barriers that have systematically excluded Black-led organizations, especially grassroots activists.

“Philanthropy must take on a committed role in decolonization and historical reparations, ensuring accessible, unrestricted funding aligned with the solutions emerging from our own communities,” Alondra emphasized. Equity must begin within philanthropic institutions themselves: “Equity and justice cannot just be outward-facing rhetoric. Within foundations, at the administrative and organizational level, it is urgent to practice real and structural equity among employees.”

She delivers this challenge with characteristic directness: “Racial equity is not the ‘flavor of the month’—it is a social debt that philanthropy helps to settle.”

From Power to Action: Driving Community Solutions Forward

For philanthropy to meaningfully support Puerto Rico's social justice movements, Alondra advocated looking beyond traditional structures to embrace community leaders and activists who sustain the work without formal recognition or institutional access.

“Many coalitions and grassroots movements, especially those led by Black and racialized women, may not have legal status, but they are essential in the fight for gender, social, and racial justice," she explained. Supporting this work demands more than good intentions—it requires flexibility, unrestricted funding, and direct investment in those transforming communities from the roots upward. True partnership means trusting the expertise of frontline leaders without imposing paternalistic conditions that perpetuate dependency cycles. This approach isn't just strategic, it's a reconnection with philanthropy's deepest purpose.

Alondra's vision of transformation is rooted not in abstract ideals but in lived experiences that have taught her justice is never granted but always fought for. Her strongest motivation comes from the young people in her life: "My strength also remains and is sustained thanks to my daughter and the girls in my life. Happy childhoods and the certainty that they deserve the best world possible are my driving force and my commitment." 

The investment in future generations naturally shapes her advice for emerging leaders: reject the false promises of individualism and competition, which too often divert energy from collective goals. "Do not fall into the trap of individualism or competition, which often shifts our attention away from the common purpose," she advised with characteristic clarity. 

"It is key to learn to self-organize, step out of the digital bubble, and weave networks in the real world." 

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