Advocacy

The Foundation actively advocates for government and corporate policies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts through industry and government consulting, thought partnership and media advocacy.

Academic Partners

NHFA partners with the Palm Awards, high school theater awards focused on 30 theater high schools from the Rio Grande Valley.  Our partnership includes a summer musical residency program for selected nominees and award winners, together with performance opportunities in Washington, D.C. during Hispanic Heritage Month.

NHFA also partners with graduate film and theater programs at NYU, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, USC, UCLA and UT Austin.

Entertainment and Media Partners

NHFA, through our PitchPrograms, has created workforce development programs that provide insight and understanding regarding digital careers of the future.  NHFA has helped to channel Latinos interested in careers in media by informing them of opportunities that exist both in front of and behind the camera.

Community Partners

NHFA partners with the Nantucket Film Festival’s ScreenWriter program.  This six week remote workshop helps develop and strengthen television and film scripts.

Advocacy In Action

Advocacy In Action
Kennedy Center Honors
Kennedy Center Honors

The Foundation spearheaded the campaign to get a Latino artist recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors by shining a spotlight on its historic omission of featuring any Latino Kennedy Center Honorees. The year-long campaign was chronicled by Politico, The Washington Post, NBC News and ABC News.

The Honors program has since recognized Martina Arroyo (2013), Carlos Santana (2013), Rita Moreno (2015), Martha Argerich (2016), Gloria & Emilio Estefan (2017), Lin-Manuel Miranda (2018), Linda Ronstadt (2019), Joan Baez (2021), and Justino Diaz (2022).

Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live

The Foundation initiated public pressure on SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels concerning the historic lack of representation on SNL. Over a 40-year period, the show had never hired a Latina cast member and had included only two Latino male cast members. Our work eventually led to the hiring of Melissa Villaseñor. The Foundation’s commentary was featured in the Washington Post.

The Foundation also led the effort to rescind SNL’s invitation to Donald Trump to host the late night comedy show.

West Side Story
West Side Story

Latino performers have been overlooked and stereotyped by Hollywood for years. The old West Side Story was no exception. The Foundation took an active role in advising 20th Century Studios in the remake to ensure the story reflected the true Hispanic American experience.

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