Artists and leading figures from the Latin music industry have launched Conciencia Collective, a new initiative focusing on creating awareness about racial and social injustice. The group, which is composed of 35 executives from across the artist, activism, management, media, publicity and other fields within the Latin music industry, came together "in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement" and with the intent to "educate our colleagues, artists, and peers of influence in order to gain their advocacy," Billboard reports. The group will also focus on issues impacting the Latin community.
As part of its initiative, the group will launch a series of online conversations, dubbed "Conciencia Talk," in partnership with Latinx culture and news site mitú, which will feature artists and figures from the entertainment and sociopolitical worlds discussing the pressing issues of the day.
The inaugural conversation, livestreaming Friday (June 26) starting at 7 p.m. EST on mitú's YouTube and Facebook pages, will include Gloria "Goyo" Martínez, the singer of GRAMMY-nominated Afro-Colombian band ChocQuibTown; Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Rafa Pabón; and Dr. Aurora Vergara Figueroa, director of the Center for Aphrodiasporic Studies at Icesi University in Colombia, who will moderate the event. The panel will "discuss the important role that the Afro-Latino community plays in society, and what we can do to help amplify their voice and dismantle systemic racism," according to the event's Facebook page.
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mitú will also share "quotes on solidarity and racial inequality" from more than 100 Latin music artists including Anuel, Zion & Lennox, Farruko and others, according to Billboard.
In a recent statement, Martínez addressed racism within the Latinx community.
"In order to consciously educate the Latinx community and change the derogatory narratives towards people of color within our community, we commit to leading with acknowledgement in solidarity with the Black community to enable the rise of leaders in our respective communities," she wrote in a statement.
"We want to extend our platforms to our brothers and sisters so that their voices and needs can be heard. We want our brothers and sisters across the U.S. and Latin America to know that we see them, we hear them and we will champion equality and justice on behalf of our industry."
The launch of Conciencia Collective follows a recent wave of nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice, specifically against Black people and people of color, in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black U.S. citizens by police.
