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MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

In this weekly newsletter, The Entreprenuerist, I want to highlight Angelo Solera, Founder of Nuestras Raices Inc, a nonprofit Hispanic/Latino community-based cultural organization in Baltimore, MD. I have known Angelo for about 15 years, and it was a pleasure to sit down with him a few weeks ago to talk about his organization. To learn about Nuestras Raices Inc, please read the article below or on The Entreprenuerist.

I also want to mention that I will co-host Dialogue on Diversity's 2021 Internet Data Privacy Colloquium: Information Technology & Privacy in the Time of COVID webinar this coming Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 1:00 PM on Zoom. To register for this event, please click here.

Once again, thank you for all your support. In the next article, I will talk about a Latino-owned company that organizes trade missions to Cuba.

Respectfully,

Juan

Nuestras Raices Inc: Changing the Narrative of the Latino Community

Angelo Solera established Nuestras Raices Inc because he realized that you have to create something new to change the conversation.

Baltimore, MD — Nuestras Raices Inc is the brainchild of Angelo Solera, a native of Madrid, Spain, who moved to Baltimore when he was 17 years old. For the last 25 years, Angelo has worked in the Latino community and was tired of hearing the community’s negative narrative on local, national, and social media. That Latinos are illegal aliens, undocumented, criminals, rapists, and come to America to steal American jobs.

Angelo established Nuestras Raices Inc in February of 2019 because he realized that to change the conversation and people’s mentality, you have to create something new and different. To do that, you have to have an organization that can redirect the narrative. That is why the organization’s purpose is to focus on the contributions the Hispanic/Latino have made and continue making in this country but often overlooked.

In 2019, Nuestras Raices Inc launched the first Latino Parade of Nations in East Baltimore. The parade started in the 4100 block of Eastern Ave. in Highlandtown. More than 20 nations were represented, including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Venezuela, and Bolivia. Participants walked along Eastern Ave. towards the heart of the Latino community in Patterson Park, where the celebration and festival continued. “The Hispanic/Latino community has participated in many festivals and parades throughout the years with other organizations, but we thought that it was time for us to hold our own parade,” says Nuestras Raices Inc Founder Angelo Solera. “It sends a message that says, we are here to stay.”

In 2020, Nuestras Raices Inc was planning their second annual parade and festival called Fiesta Baltimore when COVID shut everything down, but that did not deter the group from coming up with a caravan concept. “It was important to continue our mission and host the event. Even though COVID-19 had affected the Latino community disproportionately, we thought the caravan would uplift the spirits of the community and bring a sense of pride,” said Angelo Solera. The caravan would follow the same route as the previous parade, emphasizing safety and social distancing. They also did not have to close the street down as one would during a parade. That meant they did not have to get a permit to host their event.

During Caravana Fiesta Baltimore, many people stopped and started taking pictures of all the cars slowly driving down Eastern Ave. Many in the community thought it was a positive thing and was well received. At the end of the caravan, there was a brief gathering to thank everyone who participated with some food, but nothing like the festival they hosted the previous year. "The event was made possible with the support of many groups and organizations," said Angelo Solera. He continued to mention and acknowledge the financial support of Baltimore Votes, who partnered with Nuestras Raices to get out the Latino vote during the event.

The caravan made news and was picked up by the Baltimore Sun. Soon word got around about the caravan, and other groups approached Nuestras Raices Inc to collaborate on their event. Organizations such as the Creative Alliance and Friends of Patterson Park had canceled their events but were now interested in hosting their own caravan. Seeing that it was possible to conduct a safe cultural event, Creative Alliance and Friends of Patterson Park decided to partner with Nuestras Raices Inc to host the Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos Caravan.

In the short time that Nuestras Raices has been in existence, they have created a network of cultural partners around the Mid-Atlantic region, found an innovative way to contribute to the Baltimore metropolitan area, and changing the narrative one event at a time.

If you want to partner with Nuestras Raices Inc or connect with the different cultural groups in their network, visit www.nuestrasraicesinc.org.

About Nuestras Raices

Nuestras Raices Inc is a Hispanic/Latino community-based cultural organization in Baltimore City. The organization’s mission is to educate, preserve and promote the richness and diversity of the art, culture, heritage, and the contributions the community has made within the Baltimore metropolitan region.

Nuestras Raices Inc’s goal is to change the Hispanic/Latino community’s narrative and misconception through cultural & artistic events, including art shows, musical performances, caravans, parades, festivals, workshops & conferences.

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