Luz Maria Frias

Luz Maria Frias (born September 6, 1962) is an American attorney best known for public service and advocacy for racial equity. She served as Deputy Attorney General for the state of Minnesota and president and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis.

Early life and education

Frias was born on September 9, 1962 and grew up in West Side, Chicago, her parents having immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1950s. By age 11, she was helping people around her community by interpreting Spanish for them at the unemployment office. After skipping her junior year of high school, she was encouraged to apply to college by her algebra teacher; her parents originally intended to have Frias work after high school, and she applied without their consent.

Career

Frias started her career as a public defender. Frias worked under St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman as the first director of the Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department.

In 1991, Frias helped found the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association. working to overcome institutional barriers within the city.

Frias took over as president and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis in 2016. During her tenure, she focused on early childhood education, public policy, and racial justice, and lectured on topics including implicit bias, structural racism, and immigration policy. Ellison described Frias as "one of a kind" with a "sharp legal mind".

In 2023, she received the Public Lawyer Diversity Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association.