BBG recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month
BBG’s Office of Civil Rights recognized the National Hispanic Heritage month with an event on, September 30 that honored the achievements of Hispanic employees, raised awareness and featured keynote speaker Ismael Martinez.
The event began with Voice Of America’s Spanish Service anchor Gonzolo Abarca who is from Costa Rica and has been with the VOA for eight years. Throughout his career at VOA, he has been a constant participant in events that raise awareness.
Shortly following Abarca’s introduction, BBG CEO John Lansing welcomed all the attendees and noted the contributions of Hispanic employees at the BBG. He commented on the success this past year in the Latin American Division, noting the news division had the most downloads from BBG Direct and that its audience has been growing exponentially.
“We cannot overlook the contributions of the Hispanic community,” Lansing said. “Hispanic Americans’ commitment to faith, family, hard work, and perseverance have added immeasurably to our nation’s rich diversity.”
Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Ismael Martinez then spoke about the importance of courage and perseverance in the face of discrimination.
Following the speeches, Latin American based musical group CantoSur, performed for the assembled guests.
IBB’s Director of the Office of Civil Rights Shennoa McDay closed the event by thanking everyone for attending and expressing her heartfelt appreciation for the day’s event.