MIAMI, FL - March 29, 2017 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) - Hispanicize 2017 and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) are joining forces to present a fireside chat about leadership and community movement strategies with civil rights icon and Rainbow PUSH President the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

The Rev. Jackson will be interviewed by Claudia Gonzalez Romo, Chair of the Hispanicize CMO Summit and a global communications leader and political campaigner who has advocated for human rights for more than two decades. Both will be on the biggest stage of Hispanicize 2017, on Wednesday, April 5th.

“Whether you agree with the Rev. Jackson’s politics or not, no one can deny that in many ways he’s got the IT factor to mobilize and successfully address issues for the African American community like no Latino leader or organization knows how to do for our own community,” said Manny Ruiz, founder and CEO of the Hispanicize Media Group that owns Hispanicize Event. “This interview of an icon of the civil rights movement by a rising Latina star campaigner is going to be a fascinating discussion that should be instructive for present and future Latino leaders.”

Said Claudia Gonzalez: "I am honored to bring Jesse Jackson to Hispanicize so he can share with us his experiences and best practices about activating and unifying the African-American community. Particularly in this challenging times, the Hispanic community needs to unite, develop a stronger voice and rise up as one to act together to protect each other rights and interests, and exercise the full force of our political and economic clout.”

The fireside chat with the Rev. Jackson is the first of a three-part series of NAHJ-powered town hall discussions at Hispanicize 2017 that will provide an honest, non partisan look at what ails our community and that will feature thought leaders from different political spectrums and generations.

Immediately following the Rev. Jackson’s interview, the event’s main stage will feature a major town hall titled “The Moment of Truth: Where Latinos Are in 2017 and What They Must Do to Unite in the Age of Trump”. Speakers include Ruiz, Ed O’Keefe, Congressional Reporter for The Washington Post, Adrian Carrasquillo, White House correspondent for BuzzFeed.

On Thursday, April 6th, the NAHJ will host another hard-hitting session about the unprecedented cultural attack against diversity called “Solving America’s New Diversity Crisis.” Speakers include Semhar Araia, Managing Director, Diaspora & Multicultural Partnerships, UNICEF USA; Gloria Rodriguez, Founder/CEO, Comunicad; Rick Najera, Director, CBS Comedy Showcase; Writer on East Los High; Artistic Director & Host Latino Thought Makers Oxnard College; Mekahlo Medina, 8-time Emmy-winning journalist and immediate past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; and, Ramon Escobar, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, CNN Worldwide.

“The Hispanic community is currently within a unique moment of history that will define our strength, unity, and our collective voice in America for the next decade or possibly longer,” said Brandon Benavides, president of NAHJ. "Our collaboration with Hispanicize will elevate both national awareness and innovational approach regarding ideas and concerns that are crucial for us to address as a unified movement."

On Thursday, April 6th, the NAHJ will host another hard-hitting session about the unprecedented cultural attack against diversity called “Solving America’s New Diversity Crisis.” Speakers include Semhar Araia, Managing Director, Diaspora & Multicultural Partnerships, UNICEF USA; Gloria Rodriguez, Founder/CEO, Comunicad; Rick Najera, Director, CBS Comedy Showcase; Writer on East Los High; Artistic Director & Host Latino Thought Makers Oxnard College; Mekahlo Medina, 8-time Emmy-winning journalist and immediate past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; and, Ramon Escobar, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, CNN Worldwide.

“The Hispanic community is currently within a unique moment of history that will define our strength, unity, and our collective voice in America for the next decade or possibly longer,” said Brandon Benavides, president of NAHJ. "Our collaboration with Hispanicize will elevate both national awareness and innovational approach regarding ideas and concerns that are crucial for us to address as a unified movement."

(View the Hispanicize 2017 Preview Video here: https://youtu.be/2c-oWnYBM0c). (Hispanicize 2017 will take place in downtown Miami’s JW Marriott Marquis; reserve your room HERE. To register with the special NAHJ rate, working journalists can register HERE).

A Who’s Who of Hispanic Journalists

The NAHJ’s Spanish-language convention of Hispanicize 2017 is title sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. CNN is the presenting media partner of the showcase that is also supported by Prudential Financial, Florida Dairy Farmers and ESPN Deportes.

This year’s roster of journalism speakers includes news anchors, top reporters, commentators, researchers and leaders. In addition to Benavides, the 2017 journalist showcase will feature: Adrian Carrasquillo, White House Correspondent, Buzzfeed News; Ed O’Keefe, Congressional Reporter, The Washington Post; Mekahlo Medina, NBC News Reporter and Immediate Past President of the NAHJ; Rick Jervis, National Correspondent, USA Today; Gloria Ordaz, anchor, WLTV, Ch. 23 Univision Miami; Myriam Marquez, Executive Editor, El Nuevo Herald; among many others.

Hispanic Journalist Showcase Highlights and Sessions

Below is day-by-day schedule of the rest of the NAHJ’s Hispanic Journalist Showcase at the event. Note that this schedule is subject to change. (To view the constantly updated schedule, download the Hispanicize 2017 event app on iTunes, Android, BlackBerry and windows)

Tuesday, April 4

What future do US-Cuban relations face in 2017?
— Hispanic Journalists in the Age of Trump
— Engagement, Digital Advertising and Creativity for Journalists
— Virtual Reality and 360-Video: The Revolution is Here Town Hall
— WORKSHOP: Journalists Guide to Creating, Shooting and Presenting 360-Video for News
— WORKSHOP: How to Use Drones to Tell Compelling News Stories (limited capacity!)
— Journalism vs. Advocacy in The Age of Donald Trump

Wednesday, April 5

— Searching for Salud: Hispanic Health Matters in 2017 (Presented by Pan-American Life Insurance Group)
— Amazon Self-publishing – Literary Panel
— Fireside Chat with Civil Rights Icon Rev. Jesse Jackson
— The Moment of Truth: Where Latinos Are in 2017 and What They Must Do to Unite in the Age of Trump
— Fact Checking the Immigration Debate and the Border Wall
— Latinovator Award Luncheon: Jose Diaz-Balart of Noticias Telemundo and NBC News
— ABCs of Video Journalism and being a one-man band reporter
— Workshop: Sports Journalism (presented by ESPN Deportes)
— Unconventional Story-Telling: The New Normal
— Drone Video Training

Thursday, April 6

— Financial Reporting: Why It Especially Matters for the Latino Community (presented by Prudential Financial)
— Snapchat & Instagram Reporting
— Facebook Live for Journalists
— Solving America’s New Diversity Crisis Town hall
— LUNCHTIME SCREENING: 'America Divided' (presented by W.K. Kellogg Foundation)
— Ready, set, go! Essential on-camera training for reporters
— Investigative Reporting: essential training for reporters
— EVENING EVENT: 2017 Tecla Awards

NAHJ Student Journalist Project

ESPN Deportes and CNN will also co-host the 2nd annual NAHJ Student Journalist Project that will pair students from universities across the country with full time journalists to produce daily news content from the event. This year’s NAHJ Student Journalist Project at Hispanicize is being curated by Hugo Balta, Senior Director Hispanic Initiatives at ESPN Deportes and former president of the NAHJ.

Credentials for Journalists Covering the Event

Journalists who wish to actually editorially cover the event may request media credentials. To request those credential please visit http://hispanicizeevent.com/press/credentials/. (Media business executives do not qualify for the special journalist rates).

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship information is still available by contacting sponsorship@hispanicizeevent.com or calling 203.364.4779.

Presented by Prudential Financial, Hispanicize 2017 Week (www.HispanicizeEvent.com) is sponsored by a growing list of sponsors. As of today, announced sponsors also include: P&G Orgullosa, Crest, Neutrogena, DishLatino, Cine Latino, Toyota, SBS’ LaMusica, Dove, Wells Fargo, Walmart, State Farm, NASCAR, Best Western, JCPenney, Google, Yahoo, Nespresso, Go Rving, KOA, Israel Board of Tourism, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, Comcast, MSNBC, NBC News, AARP, CNN, CNN Español, Cooper Tires, Publicis, The City of Miami, Kelley Blue Book, Princess House, Home Depot, Regions Bank, Pan American Life Insurance, ESPN Deportes, Florida Dairy Farmers, Ole Henriksen, Lansinoh, República, C-Com Group, WOW Factor Marketing, Synergy Workspaces, FundLatinos.com, APC Collective, BodenPR, Savings.com, the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Visit Philly, Sensis, Vioxx, ThinkNow Research, 787Coffee.com, Rebel Eleven, Octupus Advertising Group, saludMóvil, The Calvert Foundation, Dvdendo, Golazo, and Lingua Franca Translations.

Additional media partners include: PRWeek, Hispanicize Wire, Mamiverse, LatinaMoms.com, Popful, Hispanic Kitchen, 2BTube, PRODU, El Sentinel, Puerto Rico BloggerCon, Hispanic PR Blog, the Hispanic Public Relations Association, Miami Herald Media, Media Moves, iBlog Magazine, Escuchamos FM, and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR).

About The Hispanicize Event
Now in its 8th year, Hispanicize 2017 Week (www.HispanicizeEvent.com) (#Hispz17) is the iconic, largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in digital content creation, journalism, marketing, entertainment and tech entrepreneurship.

Hispanicize 2017 is expected to gather more than 3,000 of the nation’s most influential Latino professionals from the industries of digital content creation, journalism, music, marketing, film and business over four days. The event will take place in downtown Miami’s JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, April 3-6, 2017.

The Hispanicize event is a launch pad for creative endeavors, new products, technologies, marketing campaigns, films, books, music and more targeting Latinos in the U.S. and/or Puerto Rico.

The Hispanicize event is owned and operated by Hispanicize Media Group, LLC, the parent company of DiMe Media, Hispanic Kitchen and the Hispanic PR Blog.

The Hispanicize Event can be found on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Hispanicize, Instagram (@HispanicizeEvent) and Twitter (@Hispanicize).