2020 has been anything but ordinary thanks to COVID-19.
The CDC is now reporting that Hispanic and Black children are experiencing COVID-19 at a disproportionate rate. According to CNN.com, Black and Hispanic people are twice as likely to contract the virus than white people, and it is clear they are more vulnerable to the virus.
On another note, approximately 14 million African Americans and 17 million Hispanics still do not have access to computer technology in their homes, according to governing.com. Because of this digital divide, black and Hispanic communities are now at a disadvantage while everything is virtual.
On Sept. 22, Ramon Escobar was invited to be the keynote speaker for the Gantt Multicultural Center’s Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month Celebration via Zoom. Escobar spoke on the ways that diversity is still shown in the U.S.
Escobar, who was bullied at a young age, has seen what diversity looks like firsthand “I must’ve been five or six years old when my mom pulled me aside and said, ‘I want you to be ready for school, and I want you to be ready because kids may make fun of you and they may not be nice and they may say mean things,’” said Escobar.
Escobar attended a Catholic private school in New York, and he did not understand what the other kids would make fun of him for. Escobar’s mother explained the facts that his name is different, he has a darker complexion, his mother spoke Spanish at the carpool, and his lunch contained rice and beans instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would initiate the teasing.
Escobar has been the VP of Talent Recruitment and Development since 2012 and the VP of Diversity and Inclusion for CNN Worldwide since 2017. He is responsible for the recruitment of all on and off-air talent for CNN U.S., CNN International, CNN en Español and HLN. Escobar also advances the internal development of anchors, correspondents, contributors and producers, and he is based out of New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a graduate degree from the Institute of Political Journalism at Georgetown University.
Resilience and optimism are two traits that Escobar says are vital to be successful in such a diverse world. “Some people call it grit, but whatever you call it, it is the perfect combination of passion, persistence, and patience,” said Escobar. “The opposite of optimism can kill most ideas and create a destructive culture. Optimism is a powerful defense to the toxicity of being discouraged,” said Escobar.
Escobar emphasized that diversity and inclusion are the appreciation of differences and the unlocking of their massive value. The way that diversity is handled can be a key driver of success.
