Central Florida is home to more than 2.7 million people. Roughly one in three is Hispanic. We are the workforce behind Orlando’s booming tourism economy, behind the hospitals, the construction sites, the schools. And yet, our average household income still lags tens of thousands of dollars behind.

Welcome back to Crystal Negron's compelling series. Now, in Part Two, "Transforming Culture Into Power—When the Numbers Speak, We Must Act," Crystal delves deeper into the real-world barriers that Hispanic entrepreneurs face, providing data that underscores systemic challenges in accessing capital.

Crystal Negron concludes her transformative three-part series not with soaring rhetoric, but with a battle cry backed by hard data and harder truths. Part Three strips away any remaining illusions about the barriers facing Central Florida’s Hispanic community—revealing that 44% of Hispanic-owned businesses are denied loans compared to just 34% of white applicants, and that Florida deliberately obscures these disparities by not requiring banks to report lending outcomes by rac

In Part One of a compelling three part series, Crystal makes a powerful case that goes beyond traditional political rhetoric. She argues that Central Florida’s Hispanic community has already proven its economic might—contributing over $16 billion locally and supporting more than 20,000 businesses—but now must translate that financial strength into political influence.

What J & Washington initially reported as federal racketeering charges against Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez has now been revealed as a sprawling criminal conspiracy that allegedly transformed the sheriff's office into a protection racket for an illegal gambling operation.

"This is a solemn day for Florida and our law enforcement community." Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier

This is a solemn day for Florida and our law enforcement community. We put great trust in our constitutional officers, especially those who are our communities' first line of defense.