CHALLENGES FACED BY AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Abstract

The article will articulate the challenges faced by African Americans intent on holding ownership and leadership positions within the hospitality sector. Though many large companies and organizations, the hospitality sector included, have publicly committed to programs dedicated to diversity and inclusion currently, the reality remains that significant racial diversity, among those holding leadership positions within the hospitality and other sectors, remains almost non-existent where White males dominate positions of leadership and power across the board. This tradition follows a long-established pattern where diversity and inclusion are mere lip-service terms to quell the masses.