Bolstering Afro-Latinas in the boardroom

At this point, sufficient data has showcased the disparity of job opportunities and their impacts on different racial groups. More specifically, the “positive” narrative of Blacks or Latinos (focusing on the descendants from Latin America) succeeding in Corporate America. But is this true?

As Latinos have grown to be the second largest population group in the States, they are still evidently underrepresented on corporate boards. Historically, Latinas have been the least represented, with 1% of board seats on the Fortune 500, the lowest number of seats of any gender or ethnic group specified by the Latino Corporate Directors Association. But the sobering statistics are bleaker when we look at the intersectional identities within the Latino population in Corporate America.

Due to the rise of social and political movements in the US, there has been an increase in research on Black women and Latinas as different demographics in the workplace. However, there is a persistent gap and lack of intersectional data on Afro-Latinas in corporate America. As a result, Afro-Latinas are often overlooked and/or absent when it comes to representation in the gender and race discourse in the states. According to the Nielsen Hispanic Diverse Insights report, “The Black-Hispanic population makes up 1.2% of the total U.S. population or 3.8 million, but it comprises nearly 8% of the entire Black population and 6.3 % of the Hispanic population.” To help close the gap, there has to be an intention to increase the visibility and combat implicit biases for Afro-Latinas in Corporate America. For the narrative to truly change, there needs to be a more significant discussion on the perception and intersectionality of being Black and Latina.

A personal story

Like everyone else, I, too, grew up believing in the American dream. As a first-generation Colombian-American from Newark, New Jersey, it was rare for me to see women in positions of power in the 90s, let alone Afro-Latinas. At the start of my corporate career in NYC in the Fashion Publishing industry, I was fortunate to work with more women, but beyond that, the landscape was still largely homogenous, i.e., White. Regardless of the room I entered, I continuously remained being “the only.” The only black woman, the only Latina; forget about being seen as an Afro-Latina. That confused too many people.

Since then, I’ve pivoted and grown my marketing career in multiple industries, secretly seeking belonging. Whether it was within Health and Wellness, Automotive, or Tech, I continuously encountered different flavors of implicit bias. Those flavors can be discrimination based on gradations of skin color or a complete omission of my identity. From those experiences, I have concluded that to affect the homogeneity in Corporate America and increase visible diversity for Afro-Latinas, we have to make a poignant effort to uplift the women in the Afro-Latino community. Unfortunately, with such a heightened focus on addressing racial inequity, Afro-Latinas are still largely absent when it comes to representation.

Currently, we live in an era of rapid technological developments, which has increased many's democratization and awareness of job opportunities. But what gets lost in the shuffle is the proportionality of who primarily benefits from this increase in aggregate wealth. For me, it all starts with creating new pathways instead of continuously pursuing the congested roadways that are no longer serving, helping, or seeing us. What I learned is that it is not solely about my identity; it is about society accepting my intersectionality and how that is reflected in the boardroom. For instance, I finally found belonging (admittedly accidentally) in the entrepreneurship community. Specifically advising startups in various sectors on their marketing initiatives. By carving out that career path, that has enabled and empowered me to uplift other women who are similar to me.

Uplift Ev’ry Afro-Latina Voice

Mi mama often said, “Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres.” As humans, we have a natural tendency to associate with people we are most comfortable with, which can often manifest in seeking out groups that look most like ourselves. But, unfortunately, that mindset bleeds into the boardroom. So instead, we must authentically establish, build, and cultivate our relationships toward a greater purpose.

As a result, network diversification is critical.

What is great to see is that some strides have been made to affect changes at the highest level. For example, there was an attempt in 2020 where California passed a law to diversify and increase racial equity in the boardroom (AB-979 Corporations). Unfortunately, the court did eventually determine that AB 979 statute was unlawful. This representative case is a step in the right direction for the remainder of the nation to take note and hopefully apply a passing ruling.

Regardless, having a diverse board is no longer “in vogue.” It is now a requirement if a company wants to truly compete in the market. This is a smart business move to have boards reflect their customer base as we move towards true inclusion. At this point, this is a call to action for friends and allies to open doors and encourage diversity at all levels in Corporate America. I believe that we must all be committed to building impactful communities and creating opportunities for Afro-Latinas.