Hispanic Heritage in the spotlight 蜜柚视频

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Hispanic Heritage Month is underway at 蜜柚视频 with several cultural, musical, and theatrical events coming up over the next month on campus and within its home community of New Britain. 

This weekend, the New Britain Museum of Modern American Art, Central鈥檚 longtime community partner, will host Access for All Community Day on Saturday, Sept. 21, with free admission to all visitors in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. The museum will host drop-in activities and musical performances starting at 10 a.m. Music by Carlos Boltes鈥 Family and Friends will begin at 2 p.m.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Central will host Salsa Fest from noon to 3 p.m. outside of the campus Student Center. The event will feature a performance by the Hartt School Salsa All-Stars and a salsa workshop led by Central alumna Xiomara Colon. The event is sponsored by Central鈥檚 Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Center (LALCC); Student Activities and Leadership Development; and the Latin American Students Organization.

Grants support Latino Poetry events in October

LALCC will host two Hispanic Heritage Month Community Reads events in October that will be funded in part by grants from CTHumanities and Library of America. (Details below.)

The Library of America selected Central in June as one of 75 partner programs across the country for its national public humanities initiative titled, 鈥淟atino Poetry: Places We Call Home.鈥 Partner programs receive $1,200 grants to host community events that explore the works featured LOA鈥檚 recently published anthology, 鈥淟atino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology.鈥 The initiative is directed by Library of America and funded with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.

A second grant of $4,999 from CTHumanities will enable LALCC to purchase 100 copies of the anthology to distribute to reading groups and students 蜜柚视频 and from local school districts.

Founded in 1974, Connecticut Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs.

Community Reads events

On Monday, Oct. 21, Central will host a poetry reading and discussion with Mexican American poet Deborah Paredez at the New Britain Public Library (NBPL) in the Periodical Room at 5:30 p.m. Paradez will discuss her poetry and process and read selected poems from 鈥淟atino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology,鈥 edited by Rigoberto Gonz谩les. Copies of the books will be available at the NBPL Circulation Desk, participants are encouraged to read the poems in advance to discuss and share their thoughts and reflections. The event will be moderated by Natalie Catas煤s and Julien Strong from Central鈥檚 English Department.

The next day, Tuesday, Oct. 22, Dr. Paradez will be a guest speaker at Dr. Natalie Catas煤s鈥檚 Introduction to Latinx Literature class at 10:50 a.m. at Memorial Hall on the Central campus. Two groups of high school students from Platt Technical High School and Maloney High School in Meriden also will attend the class. The reading and discussion will draw on selections from 鈥淟atino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology.鈥

Presenting 鈥楾he Other Side Story鈥

To round out Central鈥檚 Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations for this year, actor Angel Vazquez will bring his one-man comedy, 鈥淭he Other Side Story,鈥 to campus on Thursday, Oct. 24. Featuring live music, 鈥淭he Other Side Story鈥 illustrates the struggles and triumphs of the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York. This free performance will take place at Torp Theater in Davidson Hall.