Empowering Visions: Celebrating the Diversity of People of Color in Business and Creativity

From bustling cafés and dynamic filmmakers to innovative forums and gourmet kitchens, these business owners are not only carving spaces for themselves: They are also providing platforms for countless others to share their heritage and stories with the world.

 

In recent years, the entrepreneurial landscape has seen a vibrant infusion of diversity, with people of color leading the charge across multiple sectors. 

 

Cafe owner Kalima DeSuze, a first-generation American whose parents are both from Panama, opened Café con Libros in the heart of her community. This business is an intersectional feminist community bookstore and coffee shop. 

 

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Through Cafe con Libros' choice of books, programming, and great coffee, they endeavor to create a vibrant community space where everyone, specifically women, girls, and non-binary people, feel centered, affirmed, and celebrated. 

 

By doing so, DeSuze has cultivated a vibrant community hub that thrives on cultural exchange and creativity. 

 

DeSuze’s inspiration came from wanting to offer refuge for individuals: “I always believe that, especially women, we should have what author Eve Rodsky calls the unicorn space. And it's a space just for you, it brings you joy. It brings meaning into the world. It's a legacy that you pay it forward,” DeSuze said. 

 

While the vibrant atmosphere of the cafe bookstore reflects the dynamic and innovative spirit brought by Kalima DeSuze, an Afro-Latina woman dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for community engagement and diverse narratives, it's a vision similarly shared by Josue Perea. 

 

As a forum organizer and a Latino, Perea is equally committed to fostering dialogue and understanding among diverse communities.

 

Perea, a dynamic Latino thinker, is the executive director of the Afro Latina Forum, a group that brings together entrepreneurs, activists, and academics from diverse backgrounds.

 

Their mission, according to Perea, is to spark dialogue on socio-economic issues that surround the Afro-Latino community. 

 

One of Perea’s primary goals is “making sure that we're fighting for recognition (and) how do we center blackness when we're talking about Latinidad, and then how do we center a different understanding of blackness?” 

 

Explaining further, Perea added: “Because if they speak French or whatever, it's like, their blackness is somehow diminished.” 

 

Perea and Manuel Julio Dura Mendez, a board member for the Afro Latino forum, empower participants by connecting them with in-depth research and workshops dedicated to holidays that highlight Afro-Latino greatness.

 

“I see the forum being one of the major organizations that will bring all the Afro-Latino organizations and Afro-Latinos together to identify ways to improve the conditions of Afro-Latinos in the United States,” Mendez said. 

 

Afro Latina Forum was founded in 2005 and held together by a team of 13, has become a catalyst for innovation and collaboration. The community they support is a fusion of African ancestry with a Latin cultural tapestry from over 20 countries.

 

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While also promoting interracial and intercultural understanding, which doesn’t make up a lot of the population in New York. 

 

Multigenerational African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Latinos, and African immigrants make up 25.1% of New York City's population, according to NYC data. 

 

The Black African immigrant population in the United States grew 246% between 2000 and 2019, from about 600,000 to 2 million, and now makes up 42% of the country's foreign-born Black population, according to the Pew Research Center. 

 

Perea has been dedicated to creating spaces for important discussions on diversity and inclusion. 

 

Similarly, in the world of culinary arts, Chef JJ Johnson has been making significant strides. As a talented chef of color, Johnson not only showcases the rich and diverse flavors of his cultural heritage but also uses his platform to celebrate diversity in the food industry.

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Chef JJ, known for his Afro-Caribbean cuisine, owns Fieldtrip, Blue Llama, and Bankside restaurants that challenge conventional culinary norms in multiple locations. 

 

Johnson’s commitment to sustainability and sourcing local ingredients also highlights his dedication to social responsibility. 

 

His restaurants are a testament to the rich and flavorful possibilities when diverse cultures blend into the culinary world, which he learned when he was young. 

 

“I started cooking because I cooked in the kitchen with my grandmother from a young age. Her food brought people together. And I was like, oh, my God, I want to do this. And looking back, is that she put food DNA into my soul,” Johnson said.

 

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Just as a talented chef uses diverse ingredients and culinary techniques to create a dish that tells a story of heritage and innovation, a filmmaker brings unique narratives and perspectives to the screen, weaving together visual elements to give voice to stories that might otherwise go untold. 

 

Similarly, filmmaker Omilani Alacrón’s work delves into complex narratives that explore the Afro-Latino experience.

 

Alacrón’s films are not only artistic achievements but also potent tools for social change, challenging viewers to confront systemic inequalities and fostering empathy across cultural lines.

 

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Alacrón offers words of wisdom for aspiring leaders, saying: “Move with your heart. Be sincere. Be true, said Alacrón.” 

 

While great advice often serves as the cornerstone of success in filmmaking for creatives, it is equally important to acknowledge and navigate the unique challenges they face in the industry. The path to vibrant storytelling and innovative cinema is not without its obstacles.

 

“Living between identities and cultures sometimes does cause challenging issues, and everybody feels like they own their identity. People always want to tell you how you should identify or not, you know,” said Alacrón, CEO of Latinegras. 

 

Just as Alacrón seizes her medium to tell underrepresented stories, these business owners like DeSuze bring their cultural heritage to the forefront by embedding it into their business practices.

 

“What I would say to people is (to) be realistic with yourself,” DeSuze explained. “Build your career around your life and not your life around your career.”