June 2024 Community Member Spotlight: Unity Coalition

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UNITY in CommUNITY!

Pride Month is a month-long celebration that recognizes the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to society. It is a time to acknowledge the challenges faced by this community and to stand in solidarity with their fight for equality, acceptance, and human rights. Pride Month is a joyful and colorful display of love, unity, and resilience, with events and activities that promote inclusivity, educate the public, and celebrate the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities. In honor of Pride Month, we sat down with Herb Sosa, the Executive Director of Unity Coalition to learn more about how the organization is assisting the LCBTQ community in Miami Beach.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to call Miami Beach your home:

I was born in Miami to Cuban exile parents who met/married here. My journey so far has taken me from living in Palm Springs, Hialeah, North, Kendall, and Little Havana to where I call home – Miami Beach.

Professionally, I was the creative director of Burdines department stores for many years, and I designed across Florida and later nationwide with Federated stores. I then opened my own company for branding & design and later started Ba=BaLU Shops – a collection of Cuban-themed boutiques. Voted one of Condé Nast magazine’s top 10 destinations in the world! I have always had a passion for architecture, history, and social conscience. As executive director of Miami Design Preservation League and Art Deco Weekend, president of Dade Heritage Trust, and chairing the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board, I have led a lifelong commitment to my community and its legacy and a passion for making things better. This led to both establishing an online monthly bilingual publication – AMBIENTE digital magazine, since 2003 and co-founding Unity Coalition|Colación Unida – a Florida nonprofit dedicated to the leadership of Latinx/Hispanic & Indigenous LGBTQI+ communities, with programming across South Florida and Colombia, since 2002.

What is Unity Coalition?

Unity Coalition is an organization for the Latinx|Hispanic & Indigenous LGBTQ+ community, advancing Equality & Fairness, through Education, Leadership and Awareness, since 2002, With programming in Miami Beach & Bogotá. Most of our programming has been created and focuses on the ever-changing and evolving needs of our community. We are proud to also have a truly diverse and professional board of directors, advisors and volunteers that listen, respond, and lead with actions and solutions to the many challenges we face. Some great examples of this came during the global pandemic of 2019. We recognized that one. Of course, we are thrilled to call Miami Beach home since 2001, and much of our programming has roots right here.

What is your annual fundraiser? - Our (14) annual Celebrate ORGULLO Hispanic & Indigenous PRIDE Festival, held every October, was an initiative created in unison with Mayor Matti Herrera-Bower to shed light on Miami Beach's diverse population and cultural heritage, and brings Art, Music, Theater and Pride events for 15 days, across South Florida. In 2022 the Celebrate ORGULLO Festival was named #4 of TripSaavy's 13 unique LGBT Events around the world!

What are some of your 2024 initiatives?

 

 

 

1. TRANSART Conference & Artists Showcase: Showcasing the talent, vision and possibilities within the transgender community, the 10th annual TRANSART brings together a collection of talents, individuals & artistic genres to create awareness, nurture aspiring artists and enlighten the public.

2. SABER ES PODER|KNOWING IS POWER: Through engagement, free HIV testing, education and empowerment, and the generous funding of Gilead - we address and reach underserved individuals – specifically our trans, youth, people of color, sex workers, and homeless communities- and provide a multi-pronged approach to immediate needs, sustainable resources and long-term goals of better healthcare and reduction in HIV – in Bogotá & Miami.

 

 

3. MicroGIVING Incubator FUND: This fund proudly brings MicroGiving to the South Florida LGBTQ+ community, with focus on what individuals need RIGHT NOW, and the opportunity to help you get one step closer to stability, prosperity, giving back and fulfilling your dreams – over $72,000 given out to date. Applications available online, year-round, for Seed Funding & Mentoring, and offered as a onetime award in the following categories: Personal Well-Being & Needs Based; -Educational Development; -Start Ups, -Visioning and Community Building.

 

 

For mor information, please visit www.unitycoalition.org