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Leonard, I think these are important questions.
For hiring and promotion, I would focus on transparent, role-relevant criteria, structured and comparable assessment, and reviewing not only who is selected, but who receives the assignments, visibility and sponsorship that make future selection possible.
PMI chapters can contribute through mentoring, networks, speaking and leadership opportunities.
But there is an important boundary: chapters can help develop capability, increase visibility and broaden access to professional relationships, while employers ultimately control many of the decisions that determine career progression.
Of the factors you mention, I would distinguish their functions rather than choose one universally.
Certification can strengthen credibility and eligibility.
Community involvement can develop capability, relationships and visibility.
Sponsorship can be particularly powerful because someone with influence actively advocates for a professional when opportunities are allocated.
But this also exposes what I see as the critical question behind the discussion: where does the barrier actually sit?
If an underrepresented professional is already capable, qualified and experienced, asking what more they should do can unintentionally shift attention from the opportunity system to the individual.
The barrier may instead lie in how high-visibility assignments, sponsorship, promotion opportunities and access to decision-makers are distributed.
So perhaps equitable career development requires working on both sides of the equation: preparing people for opportunity while examining whether the system through which opportunity is allocated is itself fair, transparent and genuinely accessible.
Community Champion
