Miami has Black and Hispanic talent that corporations should not overlook
Iremember when I first read about DEI — diversity, equity, and inclusion. Hmm, I thought, will this be the beginning of change? Will this effort make a difference when it comes to the promotion of women, Hispanics, and African Americans to top-level positions, especially in our own Miami-Dade County?
After all, 70% of our population is Hispanic and 17% are African American. I would say that we do live in a diverse county. But do minorities really have power and hold the top positions? If your answer is Yes, we need to talk. Throughout the years big corporations tend to hire non-Hispanic white males to top positions.
Unfortunately, major corporations and some big non-profits in our county go national in their search to fill important positions in South Florida, sending a message to those who apply locally.
There are so many talented people in Greater Miami who also understand the beautiful anomaly that is this city. We don’t need to bringing people from Colorado, New York, California and other states. Companies need to act upon their mission of “DEI” and hire people of color who can do the job and are right here.
Too often, corporations and other businesses want to make us believe that they are all for DEI, when the reality is a different story.
Many of them don’t care about being inclusive, only seeming like it. The establishment is well and strong, giving top positions to white men. This is not just a local issue, but a national one. Until we see more change, “DEI” will remain just three letters that supposedly represent the serious intention of a company to promote and hire minorities. But, as of yet, I don’t see it being practiced as much as it should be.
There has been some good news, however. The new owners of Steward Healthcare System recently appointed Dr. Marisela Marrero as their South Florida Regional president, win. I am also proud that Dr. Aida Levitan, one of my mentors, is chairman of the board of US century Bank. Recently, the Florida Bankers Association appointed Miriam Lopez as the first woman and Hispanic president in the trade group’s 112-year history. She also is the fourth FBA president from Miami-Dade County since the 1970s.
Kudos to them, but we do have a long way to go, especially for Hispanic and African-American men.
Arguably, there have been some changes for the positive. But it’s like using a Band-aid cover for a huge wound that obviously will not stop the bleeding, a curita as we call it in Spanish.
We can only hope to see more progress in the future. Until then, we must continue to fight for the representation that people of color deserve.