QUINONES : ‘ WE ’ RE STRONGER TOGETHER ’
PROFILE
Anderson man is an educator , author , entrepreneur and more
STORY BY GILLIAN LINTZ PHOTOS BY RICHARD SITLER
When first-generation American citizen Antonio “ Q ” Quinones had his baby girl , the mother and her parents wouldn ’ t let him or his parents be alone with his own daughter .
“ They didn ’ t trust us ,” says Quinones , whose father immigrated from Mexico . “ They didn ’ t trust me or my parents because ‘ We were just minorities . We weren ’ t good people .’”
He explains that the mother and her parents never saw a problem with the situation .
“ The biggest thing that I ever learned was I can ’ t explain oppression to someone who ’ s never been oppressed ,” Quinones says . “… It ’ s only when we start getting educated in treating people equally that we go back to the humanity of a person .”
After moving from Muncie to Anderson in 2005 , Quinones started working at Man 4 Man Ministries , helping former prison inmates reacclimate to life . At the height of the pandemic , he created the RISE ( Redefining Identity through Service and Empowerment ) program with his best friend and philanthropy partner , Louis Jackson III . Quinones was also instrumental in getting Jackson ’ s nonprofit , The Village – Anderson , off the ground .
“ Q literally left his job during a pandemic and told me , ‘ Louis , I will go with you ,’ when all I had was a vision in my mind ,” Jackson explains . “ He believed in it when I barely believed in it . He said , ‘ I ’ m going to do whatever it takes to push you ’ and now we ’ re almost three years in .”
Working as an African American-Latin American team has cultivated an important conversation for both Jackson and Quinones , as well as the entire Anderson community .
“ As we grow , what we ’ ve learned is that we want to make sure we ’ re seen together — black and brown together . Because even though we ’ re minorities , we ’ re stronger together ,” Quinones says .
After seven years working with Man 4 Man , Quinones got certified and started his own OSHA compliance and technical training school : On This Rock LLC .
When his niece and daughter mentioned Pride Rock in “ The Lion King ,” Quinones realized why God gave him that name for his company .
“ I remember the scene in the movie when Rafiki went to the top of the rock and held Simba up . That is what my company does ,” he says .
14 2023 Diversity Magazine