David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee.
The rapid growth in communities of color across the South has inspired more efforts to train, mentor and support Black and brown leaders who advocate for people s specific needs and aspirations.
A recent initiative to embark on that work is called Mosaic Changemakers, which was founded in 2020 by Renata Soto, a senior fellow at Harvard University s Advanced Leadership Institute.
Tennessee residents may be familiar with Soto from her days as co-founder and executive director of Conexión Américas, the Nashville-based nonprofit focused on supporting the Latino community with occupational training, education and family assistance.