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"  While we have the honor of recognizing fun, fearless Latinas in our magazine (and at a gala) once a year, we know that every day, across the country, countless mujeres are working hard to help advance and inspire our community. To honor our backyard crusaders, we are introducing &amp;quot;Local SHEroes.&amp;quot; Here are our first group of poderosas. Enjoy and please nominate your own at cosmolatina@hearst.com. The Crusader: Melissa Mark-Viverito, 45, speaker of the New York City Council Why she kicks ass: This political activist and former labor organizer is the first Puerto Rican and Latino to hold a citywide elected position. As speaker of the City Council, this San Juan native is the second-most powerful elected official in New York City.\u00A0 She represents the 8th District, which includes the Latino-populated East Harlem aka El Barrio and the South Bronx. Her defining moment: When a gas explosion that registered a 0.5 on the Richter scale rocked her beloved El Barrio, killing eight, injuring dozens, and displacing over 70 people \u2014 nearly half of them children \u2014 the newly elected speaker was galvanized into action. Her office (just steps away from the blast) became an emergency refuge for both first responders and loved ones awaiting word on their missing family members. &amp;quot;I knew those buildings. I knew the victims.&amp;quot; Giving interviews fluently in English and Spanish, Mark-Viverito&amp;#039;s visibility in the aftermath was deemed a &amp;quot;coming-out moment for the city&amp;#039;s Hispanic community&amp;quot; by The New York Times. \u00A0 Her motivation: &amp;quot;Social justice and inequality are my guiding principles. It is imperative that our government and public policies respond to the needs of all who live in our great city, and that&amp;#039;s what motivates me to act.&amp;quot; Mark-Viverito just introduced a bill that would provide municipal ID to help homeless teens, undocumented immigrants, and seniors access services. Her pet peeve: I don&amp;#039;t like to be told I can&amp;#039;t do something,&amp;quot; she said. &amp;quot;It just pushes me to go further.&amp;quot; RELATED:\u00A0 Meet 2014&amp;#039;s Fun Fearless Latinas Photo credit: Courtesy "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/news/a26159/local-sheroes-melissa-mark-viverito/>