Accomplished Global Citizen Dr. Samuel Betances to Open Video of Puerto Rican Alliance for Awareness

Jan 9, 2012
2:16 PM

The videos are in, and the response has been a wave of positivity towards the true essence of what it is to be a human being living in the 21st century. Today, the Puerto Rican Alliance for Awareness, a group formed to "bring awareness to the negative stereotyping of all groups," has announced that Dr. Samuel Betances, one of the most accomplished Puerto Rican professionals right now and one of the top Latino figures in the United States, will kick off the association's much-anticipated video documentary that celebrates diversity, unity, and a belief in a new way of thinking.

The video will be premiering this week, and we plan to post it on our page.

Based in Chicago, Dr. Betances has had distinguished and incredibly impressive career, having advised Presidents, state and local governments, public school districts, and Fortune 500 companies. A true boricua from Harlem, Dr. Betances is a standard-bearer for a world that is free of prejudices, judgment, and disunity. He is a Puerto Rican, a Latino, and a global citizen we should all celebrate.

For those who want to know about Dr. Betances, here is his official bio:

 

I do not know where to begin: Fantastic! Outstanding! Informative! Enjoyable! We have heard from many speakers over the years and I can say without question you were the most informative and enjoyable," said a corporate client about one of the leading motivational speakers in America today, Dr. Samuel Betances.

As a biracial, bicultural, and bilingual citizen of the world, Dr. Betances has worked in all fifty states, all six U.S. territories and in various countries including Japan, Korea, Germany and Mexico.  He inspires willing learners to aim high, reject rejection and embrace themselves and each other as powerful team members working toward a more prosperous future.

Decades of university teaching, publishing articles and consultantships with private and public organizations bring to each event a breadth and depth of understanding on how we must make sense of differences. His newly released educational book/tape series Ten Steps to the Head of the Class has been outstandingly received by audiences everywhere.  Dr. Betances challenges and motivates clients in Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies, community groups, community colleges, universities, lecture series and commencement events.  New, non-sexist and balanced systems, which will not benefit any one group at the expense of another, can only emerge when white males and non-traditional groups work together.  He brings audiences to their feet in women's issues forums, African-American historical month activities, Hispanic events and celebrations on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to name but a few.  He challenges negative mindsets with his problem solving methodology and extensive grasp of issues.  Dr. Betances has merged eloquence and teaching skills to deliver his powerful message with conviction: "It matters less where we are from; what really matters is where we are going.  Accept our diversity. Embrace it. Make it work for you. Harness the rainbow."

This great motivator was not supposed to make it. Out of the bowels of inner city poverty, stigma of minority group status, violence, welfare and illiteracy in two languages, he arose.  With strong spiritual convictions and a passion for reading, Samuel Betances has taken the hard lessons from the mean streets of life and reshaped them into his personal vision. He embarked on a journey from dropping out of school to a Doctorate from Harvard University. Today, America's foremost communicator on the challenge of casting away barriers to success is an honored Professor Emeritus, a consultant to U.S. Presidents, CEOs, managers, community groups, clergy members, educators, and a role model for youth.

Dr. Betances is a superb workshop leader. His style is to guide a highly interactive, inclusive, fun and spirited search for solutions. Sessions are customized to fit clients' needs. Group exercises and interventions are geared at removing the formal and informal barriers which impede the goals of the organization.

His success at bringing cultures together has earned him many awards. Much more than a lecturer, Dr. Betances works to help others learn the importance of pulling cultures together as a way of bringing America back to the top in education, business, and society in general. As he puts it, "Our mission is to make America stronger, healthier and freer than when we found her."