THIS WEEK'S SIX:

This read is from last year but continues to be relevant. More than 50 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, his words continue to resonate with communities of color.  This article educates us on a few times he stood in solidarity with Latinos.

This is a profile on licensed therapist Adriana Alejandre - her story is really inspiring. With her platform, Latinx Therapy, established in April 2018, she aims to provide the Latinx community with education, resources from more than 200 nonprofits across the country, and access to over 1,000 bilingual and/or Latinx therapists. Alejandre also produces a podcast in both Spanish and English that is housed on the platform. I love her podcast and have been a fan for awhile (see Spotlight from issue #3).

This is an amazing story - & it's only 15 min. Host Maria Hinojosa interviews entrepreneur Daniel Lubetzky, an immigrant from Mexico and son of a Holocaust survivor. After being released from a concentration camp in Germany, his father fled to Mexico and taught himself to read as a boy - eventually learning to speak 9 languages. Daniel talks about the various ways he was inspired by his father.

A 2016 survey jointly conducted by Deloitte and the National Venture Capital Association found that just two percent of all partners in U.S. venture capital firms were Latinx. The story goes into an interview with three different VC's - Maria Salamanca, principal at Unshackled Ventures, Vanessa Larco, a partner at NEA, and Jomayra Herrera, manager of edtech investments at Emerson Collective.

“The problem with a lack of diversity, especially in venture, is that, at the end of the day, you’re investing in a vision you have for the future,” she explained. “And that future will be incredibly diverse and very different from what was in the past. So, you have to have different perspectives.”

Anyone a fan of the show "Suits"? Cuban-American actress Gina Torres has a new show in a works that's a spinoff of “Suits” on USA Network that will follow character Jessica Pearson. Torres will lead the project, which will focus on her character as she adjusts to Chicago politics. I used to love the show "Suits" - it's so ridiculous but full of so many sassy, beautiful, well-dressed New Yorkers. Plus it's where Meghan Markle gained popularity. 😍

The TED talk above is by Ariana Curtis, a curator for Latinx History and Culture at Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (she's of Panamanian descent). In the 12 minute talk she imagines how museums can more accurately represent history by honoring the lives of people both extraordinary and everyday, prominent and hidden -- and amplify diverse perspectives that should have always been included. 👏🏽👏🏽

Appreciate you reading this week’s issue. Forward this to friends or family so they can join you in celebrating the every day contributions the Latinx community is making. You can also:

• View past newsletters here

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