Empowerment

With paint rollers in hand and plenty of elbow grease to spare, thirty teenagers from local community centers pitched in to help beautify the Vermont Ave. headquarters of another youth-serving organization during the annual L.A. Works volunteer day, held Saturday, June 3. The event was sponsored in part by the Majestic Realty Foundation.

If a beautiful woman walked by a construction site on May 1st, she heard no whistles; no one showed up to work that morning.

I was commissioned by one of my clients to gather footage, shoot photos and record opinions of as many marching immigrants as I could. I was mentally prepared to get there, cover the project and hopefully still make it to the gym! In fact, I was ready for the expected: angry immigrants and union leaders declaring their resentments, screaming their hatred.

The AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., is promoting the development of young Latin American entrepreneurs by funding an innovative, technology-based program with a US$75,000 grant to Junior Achievement Worldwide.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America announced its national awards program for young Hispanic entrepreneurs entitled “Latino Entrepreneurial Award of Distinction” (LEAD). The program is designed to recognize the entrepreneurial and community efforts of Latino students ages 12 to 18 and marks the expansion of Guardian’s Hispanic initiative.

The Women’s Automotive Association International (WAAI) will honor Tere Zubizarreta, President and CEO of Zubi Advertising, one of the largest independent Hispanic advertising agencies in the U.S., with its “Spirit of Leadership” award at its annual luncheon on February 11th in Orlando, FL. Mrs. Zubizarreta was chosen for the esteemed award for her significant accomplishments in the automotive advertising industry and her innumerous contributions to the Hispanic community.

Cristina Saralegui, host of Univision’s top-rated The Cristina Show, has been unanimously elected into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, which each year honors those who have made significant contributions to the electronic arts. Cristina joins luminaries in the Hall of Fame Roster such as Eduardo Caballero, Johnny Carson, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather, Dick Clark and Jackie Gleason.

More than 100 Latinas are being featured in a new Sacramento museum exhibit, celebrating their success, achievements and telling their story of significant contributions to California’s history. A steering committee of Hispanic leaders identified, researched and collected artifacts, photographs, and other items that can be seen on display.

Univision Network’s news anchor Jorge Ramos and talk show host Cristina Saralegui are featured among “The 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America,” profiled in Time Magazine’s August 22, 2005 issue.

Casa Naranja is a networking firm founded to meet the lifestyle needs of the modern Latin American woman. Beginning in June, the company will host exclusive monthly events at different New York City venues. Casa Naranja’s services include resource and networking development; planning, hosting and fundraising for events; and an e-zine and members-only concierge guide.

UNITY: Journalists of Color is challenging each of the 743 members of the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) — some 265 of who will be gathered this week for ASNE’s annual conference — to take bold action in diversifying their newsrooms.