By: Amanda Fernandez, Founder & CEO

This month, at Latinos for Education, we are proud to celebrate Black History Month, and uplift the sacrifice, contribution, and impact of the Black community in this country. As a white-passing Latina, I am well aware of the privileges I have. I can walk into a room and not be judged because of my skin color, it will be assumed I am articulate, I do not have to fear for my son’s life on a daily basis because of the color of his skin.  

I have been on a lifelong journey to undo the entrenched beliefs that many of us experience in our own communities and families.  My own transformation began when I was 27 years old doing DEI work in a corporate setting and being proximate to the experiences of professional African Americans. My two bosses, both Black women, became my guiding lights as I saw them navigate environments that weren’t made for them. As a Latina, I learned the lessons of what it means to be ‘the only one’ in the room from them.  

As I reflect on observances like Black History Month, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Juneteenth I think about my two mentors and how it is our collective responsibility as Latinos to turn these days into moments of action. These observances are more than dates on a calendar – they’re times to ask ourselves, ‘How am I showing up for the Black community?’ ‘How am I holding up the mirror to the Latino community in its treatment of Afro-Latinos?’ ‘Where can our shared desire to see prosperity for our communities serve as a bridge across cultures?’  

When I shifted my career into education, I was fortunate to meet new Black role models, experts and warriors in the fight for justice. They taught me about the intentional ways in which this country has literally and figuratively drawn lines to make sure African Americans don’t have access to educational opportunity. They taught me about what collective responsibility means, to say what needs to be said, even when your voices shakes when you see, hear, witness racial injustice being perpetrated in the systems that have been set up to deny access and opportunity to Black children.  

At Latinos for Education, we take this responsibility seriously to challenge these systemic barriers. To live out our value of ‘bridging across cultures,’ we need to listen to the stories, the fears, the struggles, and the strength of every single individual who navigates environments not made for them. We must confront the uncomfortable truths of what lives within us and our communities that perpetuate denial of an equitable education.  

I created Latinos for Education as a space for emerging Latino leaders to do the work of identity development, to acknowledge our backgrounds and upbringing – and that requires us first to reflect on issues of biases and colorism in our own community.    

As a leader, it’s my responsibility to hold a mirror up to Latinos for Education as an organization to make sure we reflect the values we espouse, and constantly examine my own assumptions and influences and where I have fallen short. My journey and that of Latinos for Education is one of continual evolution, challenging mindsets and forever learning. As we tackle issues like educator diversity, it is critical that we elevate the voice of Afro-Latinos and intentionally partner and unite with our African American colleagues and organizations in the sector. While it is critical to focus on the issues within our own communities, we know that more progress can be made together.  

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Amanda Fernandez is the CEO and Founder of Latinos for Education, the first Latino-founded and led national organization dedicated to developing, placing, and connecting essential Latino leadership in the education sector, while mobilizing Latino voices to promote practices and policies that remove barriers to equitable educational opportunity. In 2023 she was appointed to serve on the Massachusetts Governor’s Latino Empowerment Council which will advise on strategies to expand economic opportunities for and improve the overall wellbeing of Massachusetts’ Latino community. Prior to this appointment, she served on the Governor’s transition team as the co-chair of the thriving youth and young adults committee. Amanda previously served as a Trustee of the Board with the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She has twice been named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in Massachusetts and she is a Senior Fellow at FutureEd. Amanda has over 25 years of experience in the areas of recruiting, diversity, organization development, change management, strategic planning, and Latino community relations.