I’m rebooting my podcast to focus on communicating for change. This week we’re going to talk about how to uplift people of Hispanic descent. I share statistics about the prevalence of people of Hispanic descent in the U.S. workforce and why it's important to uplift them.

In the U.S., National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. It’s a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. In this podcast I share four strategies to celebrate and support people of Hispanic descent during this month and all year long.1. Know your terms

Let’s begin with Hispanic, which means someone descended from Spanish-speaking countries.

A Latino or Latina is a man or woman of Latin American descent. Latinx and Latine have emerged as gender-neutral alternatives to Latino or Latina, which encompass Hispanic people from all racial backgrounds and those who identify as LBGTQIA+. The terms “Latinx” or “Latine” are not widely accepted though, especially among older generations.

Others prefer to identify themselves by their country of origin, similar to some Native Americans preferring to be called by their Tribe or some Black people disliking the term “BIPOC.” It’s more respectful when you name someone’s origin instead of lumping them together.

Ask people of Latin-American or Hispanic descent what terms they prefer.

2. Avoid cultural appropriation

In a Great British Bakeoff Mexican-themed episode a few years ago, the hosts wore ponchos and sombreros and made insensitive jokes. As we approach Halloween, this is a good time for my annual reminder to not appropriate other cultures.

Unless you are Latine, avoid:

· Wearing Mexican or Indigenous traditional costumes or Chola style outfits

· Getting culturally themed tattoos

· Celebrating Dia de Los Muertos without understanding its deep cultural meaning

· Using Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to party without participating in the cultural elements

3. Celebrate with culturally appropriate activities

Celebrating cultural holidays, traditions, and events can be a powerful way to show support. Ask your Latine colleagues or community members for ideas, but avoid singling them out or requiring them to lead or participate.

Here are some ideas to consider:

· Feature culturally inspired music, food, films, and art

· Sponsor a book group with selections by Latine authors

· Discuss Latine diversity, equity, and inclusion

· Host an educational session led by Latine professionals

· Celebrate the contributions of your Latine employees or community members

· Spotlight Latine businesses

· Host celebrations and workshops, encouraging employees to share their own experiences and customs

Make sure your activities are respectful and inclusive. Do your research and check in with Latine folks to make it fun and educational.

4. Offer support to Latine employees in the workplace all year long

Any attempt to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month will be inauthentic unless you work toward everyday inclusion. With their rich cultural heritage and diverse perspectives, Latine employees contribute significantly to the workforce. However, they face everyday prejudice and need specific support. This support could include:

· Fostering cultural sensitivity and awareness. Educate employees about diverse cultures, traditions, and languages. Break down stereotypes and create a more inclusive atmosphere.

· Addre

Dr. Ronnie Taylor was born to extremely young parents who divorced after a few years of marriage. His mom converted to Mormonism and moved the family to Salt Lake City to start a new life. Unfortunately, the missionary who converted and recruited her failed to tell the church Ronnie’s family was Black. They weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms.

His mom worked and went to college full time, and eventually she remarried. Growing up in Utah as a Black Mormon was tough. Ronnie moved out when he was 17 and tried to build a life for himself, but he kept getting targeted by police.

“In my life to date, I've been pulled over by the police about 55 times and I've been beaten by the police five times. Also been arrested over a dozen times.”

Ronnie cashed two checks for $300. He didn't have the money in his bank account, but he thought he could just pay the money back and it would be okay. He didn't think the penalty would be that severe…but it was two felonies with zero to five years jail time. He was sentenced to three years, probation, 178 hours of community service, and 6 months house arrest. He also had to pay the restitution and a fine.

Soon he found himself falling into a never-ending series of bad situations that kept getting worse, and he was only 20 years old.

“And if you can't get a job or vote or all these other myriad of consequences that come from a conviction, then you're largely excluded from society as a whole. Being in that situation was much harder because it meant years of job insecurity and financial insecurity…And if you can't make money, you just can't participate in life in many ways.”

The only solution he could find was to move out of state and lie on his job applications. While living in Rhode Island, Ronnie met his wife Kerala and they moved to Washington DC.

“She says I romanticized living in DC, but I remember really enjoying it partially because it's a mostly Black city. We used to call it Chocolate City. It was the first time in my life where I lived in an environment where I was just not special. I was just a normal, everyday person who got to walk around and not have to deal with a lot of the things that I have to deal with. There was also the reverse where, being in a predominantly Black environment that people think I act too white. I don't fit in anywhere."

He went into paramedic school and tried to get his record cleaned up. Eventually he had to pay a lawyer to get his record expunged.

Ronnie realized he didn’t want to be a paramedic his whole life so he went to George Washington University and graduated summa cum laude while also working full-time.

Ronnie’s doctorate program brought the family to Portland, OR. He earned his doctorate in occupational therapy and now he’s on track to become certified as a hand therapist.

Listen to the podcast to hear about growing up as a Black Mormon, how he turned his life around, and what life is like today.

Please drop me a line at marie@fertilegroundcommunications.com or on social media to let us know what you thought about this episode.

I help professional services firms avoid BORING and boost employee engagement, productivity, and readership. I translate technical, complex, and lackluster language into accessible, dynamic, story-driven text. Get known in your industry through outstanding thought leadership content. Walk your talk through outstanding, effective communications with your employees and clients.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.

Dr. Melissa Jenkins Mangili is a neuropsychologist and medical school faculty member who has reinvented herself as a fashion and fitness model.

Her life began with grit and resilience. She and her three siblings were was raised in poverty in rural Maine by a single quadriplegic mother.

“The nice thing about being from a small town is that everybody knows each other…and rallied to help us. (My mother) couldn't drive at first. She had to relearn how to drive and get an adapted car. Eventually we were able to build a wheelchair-accessible home…and she was able to drive independently…as we got older, we were able to help more.”

Melissa had her first job at age 9, with a paper route. By age 12 she was working 50 hours a week babysitting during the summer. She worked at McDonald’s in high school and as a second job during college summers.

In spite of the hardships, she had a happy childhood.

“…the experience made us closer and happier in a lot of ways, because even though things were tough, we were in it together. We all had a common mission of taking care of our mom and taking care of each other and doing everything that we could to contribute to that common mission…we became very close and we learned how to be very self-sufficient. We're all very successful as adults.”

Thanks to her intelligence and hard work, she graduated second in her college class. That’s just the start of her educational journey. She camped across the country to California for graduate school because she heard education was more financially accessible there. Then she worked her way through UCSD.

Fast forward to her academic career and private practice as a neuropsychologist. Until recently, Melissa taught at Brown University medical school. During the “great pause” of COVID, she took a sharp left turn and become a fashion and fitness model.

“I think it is radical to step in front of a camera and do it as yourself, not with artificial enhancements or extreme workout regimens or any of that kind of perfectionism, but just to step in front of the camera or out on a runway and model, as a not-25-year-old model and be visible and represent our generation.”

She loves advocating for more diverse representation in modeling.

Melissa is also enjoying the freedom from not having to fit into the conservative norms of academia. She’s embracing her reinvention as a model!

Melissa is currently featured in Model Billboard magazine and has been on the runway in Rhode Island, New England, and New York fashion weeks. To see her portfolio or hire her for modeling, check out her Instagram page.

Please drop me a line at marie@fertilegroundcommunications.com or on social media to let us know what you thought about this episode.

I help professional services firms avoid BORING and boost employee engagement, productivity, and readership. I translate technical, complex, and lackluster language into accessible, dynamic, story-driven text. Get known in your industry through outstanding thought leadership content. Walk your talk through outstanding, effective communications with your employees and clients.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.