More than 2,500 leaders in the Hispanic community registered with the mission to unify under a strategic vision and a shared agenda to advance the community. The three-day virtual event (normally held at the United Nations) gathered U.S. Hispanic leaders to review the advancements of the Hispanic community thus far and to define an action plan to advance the community over the next decade.
“We have a plan and we can do it, we can be the last generation of U.S. Hispanics that is not seen, heard and valued,” said Claudia Romo Edelman, founder of We Are All Human.
Day 1 kicked off with a recap of the 2019 Hispanic Leadership Summit (HLS) agreed focused areas: Education, Financial Empowerment and Change of Perception. Then, the 2020 HLS objectives were introduced around getting together to understand the progress of the U.S. Hispanic community through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals and invited everyone to define a new transformative 2021 agenda.
USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. joined to welcome everybody to this action-oriented event with a message of unity. “The time is right for us to come together like never before, united in purpose, mission and in vision as well,” said Andrade.
Blessing Omakwu, Deputy Director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke about key findings of the impact COVID-19 had on the state of the planet and where Sustainable Development goals stand, followed by a discussion panel where the speakers reflected on the impact of the pandemic, but also shared important insights about the yet to come COVID-19 vaccine and the impact of preventable diseases.
This year was a very special Summit because The Hispanic Development Goals Framework was developed answering, “How can the SDGs help the Hispanic community? How can the Hispanic community help achieve the SDGs?”
“The SDGs are more than a framework, it is a way of thinking, a change of mindset and it is critical to understand what is happening with the Hispanic community under the lens of the SDgs,” said Amb. Juan José Gomez Camacho, Ambassador of Mexico to Canada, during his participation in this matter.
On Day 2 the Summit took a deep dive into key priority areas for the Hispanic community: quality education, gender equality, decent work and health. Each session explored relevant targets and indicators that contribute to the achievement of each individual goal, including red flags, best practices, and scalable solutions. The conversations included top subject matter experts on the most salient aspects of each priority.
“The solutions are within us, but we need the will to make them happen. Your actions will create a ripple effect,” said Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. Her message recognized the importance of getting the powerful Hispanic community to focus on the execution of the SDGs, not only due to its importance in the U.S. but also for its impact beyond the U.S. into Latin America.
CNN contributor Van Jones gave a special message of recognition to Latino voters. “When we begin to recognize that all of our kids are being left out (African American and Hispanics alike) that is when we get together and are able to make a tremendous difference,” said Jones.
A conversation was held with Nurse Heroes organizers Alex Charlton & Emilio Estefan, the creators of a fundraising concert that is raising much needed funds for programs including scholarships for nurses and their children.
“This concert is important because we are not only going to be able to help nurses and their children, but it is also a unifying effort where everybody is getting together to celebrate our Nurse Heroes,” said Estefan.
Day 3 was about changing perception and connecting the dots on how Hispanics can change the perception of the community and how frameworks like the Hispanic Star could be helpful for all.
Jonathan Patton, Sales & Partnerships VP at H Code Media, presented the 2020 Perception Study. The study was conducted by H-CODE and We Are All Human and explores how Hispanics view themselves and how they are viewed by others. Stacie de Armas, Diverse Consumer Insights & Initiatives SVP – DE&I Practice at Nielsen, shared Nielsen’s recently released report with key insights on the representation of Hispanics in front and behind the camera, highlighting the key drivers for how Hispanics are viewed and how they view themselves.
P&G and Hispanic Star gathered in a roundtable with Marc Pritchard, P&G Chief Brand Officer, Luis Miguel Messianu, Alma Creative Chairman & CEO and Claudia Romo Edelman. The group discussed their insights on how to develop programs that benefit the community and businesses alike. “At P&G we are using our voice and reach as a force for good and a force for growth, doing both creates a virtuous cycle,” said Pritchard during the discussion.
In the same road of marketing and advertising, there was an action-oriented session for Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 with Carlos Correcha-Price, US CEO of LLYC, Nancy Santiago, Intersection Account Executive, Matt Schenker, Advertising Week Global CEO, Heidi Arthur, Ad Council Chief Campaign Development Officer, Carla Molina, Corporate Bank of America Communications Executive and Steve Mandala, Univision Communications President of Advertising Sales and Marketing.
Mario Kreutzberger “Don Francisco”, television host & humanitarian, spoke about the vibrancy of Hispanic culture and how it has permeated all aspects of society in the United States, from food, to entertainment, to sport and everything in between.
Eva Longoria Bastón, Momento Latino co-founder, and Henry R. Muñoz III, Momento Latino founder, highlighted the power and resilience of the Hispanic community and emphasized how the community can come together, support one another and make this it’s moment. “We are more alike than we are different, and we have tremendous power when we work together, somos más fuertes, somos más Unidos,” said Longoria Bastón.
We Are All Human Foundation is grateful for its partners that have made the Summit possible. Signature partners are Beam Suntory, IBM, NRG, Procter & Gamble and Yum! Brands. Platinum partners are Bank of America, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Frito Lay North America. Gold partners are Claro Enterprise Solutions, G6 Hospitality and Modelo. Silver partners are Aflac and Salesforce.
