NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hispanic Heritage
Month (HHM) has officially begun, and Hispanic Star's virtual
kick-off has raised the bar, setting the tone for this month of
celebration and reflection. Hispanic Star gathered leaders and
members of the Hispanic community in a virtual meeting to spotlight
the significant contributions the community has made.
The organization aims to both unify and empower the Hispanic
community, recognizing the influence the more than 60 million U.S.
Hispanics have had and their role in the growth, culture,
traditions, history and achievements of the United States. It also aims to take action
and support the community's needs, based on strong conviction
that "we don't win until we all win."
"Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for the community to
be loud and proud, showcasing and raising awareness of the
contributions the Hispanic community has made to the United States so that they can be seen,
heard and valued." said Claudia Romo
Edelman, Founder of the We Are All Human Foundation and host
of the event. "This opening ceremony was a moment to start the
celebration together and continue the momentum throughout HHM and
beyond."
The program engaged various leaders to cover topics such as
Hispanic heritage and pride, the community's current reality and
Hispanic success stories. Speakers such as Mauricio Gutierrez of NRG, James Fripp of Yum! Brands, Stacie de Armas of Nielsen and Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr. of United States Hispanic
Leadership Institute (USHLI) shared key data and insights about the
current state of the community, the impact of COVID-19, and how the
Hispanic community can drive growth and transformation. Jesus
Mantas, senior managing partner, IBM Services also shared recent
findings from the IBM Institute for Business Value's ongoing survey
of Hispanic Americans. The survey revealed startling insights such
as:
- Only 30% of Hispanic junior managers say that they feel they
have access to mentorship, programs or on the job training.
- Only 20% say that they are empowered to overcome their
professional challenges.
- 67% say they believe they have to work harder than others to
succeed because of their Hispanic identity.
"Hispanics represent the biggest economic and talent growth
lever for the U.S. economy this decade. We all depend on this
constituency for the U.S. economy and jobs to continue to grow, and
that requires that we help more Hispanics with education, economic
development and leadership advancement opportunities" said Mantas.
"Success will take all of us — corporate leaders, NGOs, innovators,
entrepreneurs and average citizens—working together."
Additionally, two renowned artists made a special appearance.
Juan Fernando '"Fonseca" and
Yamid Ahmad Serna shared a preview
of the "Revolución de la Sensibilidad (Sensitivity Revolution),"
initiative (expected to launch in November), which highlights the
incredible impact of the Hispanic culture. René Pérez Joglar,
'Residente' shared his thoughts on the importance of music in
driving change and provided insights into his recent project
"Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe (Before the World Ends)." He also
referenced his upcoming collaboration with Hispanic Star to spread
the message about the importance of wearing a mask.
Marc Pritchard, Chief
Brand Officer of Procter &
Gamble (P&G), participated in a discussion in which he shared
the value and importance of the Hispanic community to P&G,
including the company's commitment to hiring and supporting a
diverse workforce. "When you have people within your walls that
represent the population outside of your walls, you can better
understand the consumers you are serving," shared Pritchard.
"Moreover, it helps us understand our Hispanic consumers more
deeply. This allows us to make sure all our advertising
accurately and respectfully portrays every Hispanic person and to
take a stand to promote equality." "Hispanic Star is a unifying
movement working to bring all Hispanic organizations together.
There is so much good that can come from this unified effort."
Furthermore, Hispanic Star's kick-off included important
conversations about Hispanic underrepresentation. Hispanic Stars
are often underrecognized and not as well-known by new generations.
For this reason, in collaboration with SAP, the Hispanic Star
launched a digital experience that celebrates the lives of the most
remarkable members of the Hispanic community by placing their
virtual statues where they rightfully belong. "I am so proud
to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in partnership with the We are
all Human Foundation with such a creative and educational
experience." shared Alicia Tillman,
Global CMO of SAP. "This is a great way to learn more about the
amazing contributions of these Hispanic heroes, advocates and
leaders in a way that is safe, competitive and fun!"
During the event, Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) and We
Are All Human presented the "COVID-19 Superhero of the Year
& Hispanic Star in Action" award to Maria Fernanda Reyes, Founder and President of
AdoptaHero, and to Aaron Castro, CEO
and Founder of Superior Mobile Health, and Justin Salazar, Chief Strategy Officer of
Superior Mobile Health. This award was presented to the Latinx
businesses demonstrating exemplary service to the Hispanic
community by presenting a solution during the COVID-19 crisis.
This event, sponsored by Beam Suntory, IBM, NRG, P&G, US
Bank, SAP, BMS and Yum! Brands, is just one of Hispanic Star's
planned initiatives to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Buzzfeed,
the Financial Times, Next Door, Univision and Intersection also
partnered with Hispanic Star for this event.
Hispanic Star has developed a toolkit to help individuals and
organizations join this celebration of Hispanic heritage and build
a stronger narrative about Hispanics. To access, visit
https://hispanicstar.org/toolkit/.
To re-watch the livestream, learn more about Hispanic Star's HHM
activities or explore ways to support the Hispanic community, visit
hispanicstar.org.
About We Are All Human
We Are All Human is a foundation dedicated to advancing the
agenda of equity, diversity and inclusion. The We Are All Human
Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to these
ideals. Made up of an experienced group of marketers and
sustainability activists with backgrounds from the United Nations,
global affairs, media and the corporate world, our team is
committed to making change through collective action.
Media Contact:
Marisa García de Celis
marisa@weareallhuman.org
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hispanic-star-kicks-off-hispanic-heritage-month-with-virtual-opening-ceremony-301132491.html
SOURCE We Are All Human