August 2021
Volume 17 No. 9
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Michelle Falcón Fontánez and the
Art of Powerful
Storytelling
2
Editorial / Editorial
On July 28, 2020 a coalition of Puerto Rican religious leaders sent a letter to the leaders of Congress in support of the Puerto Rico Job Creation Bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Robert Menéndez (D) and Roger Wicker (R). If passed, the Territory Economic Development Tax Credit Act seeks to increase employment and investment in the US territories.
Puerto Rico Religious Leader Stimulus Letter to Congress Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy, As you move forward stimulus plans and your legislative agenda, please implement plans that offer both relief and opportunity for the people of Puerto Rico. We are grateful for many of the past efforts of Congress and we believe certain stimulus actions will not only benefit the US citizens of Puerto Rico, but could also benefit all US citizens across the 50 states and other territories battling the coronavirus pandemic. 1.) We encourage Congress to immediately implement measures to return manufacturing jobs to Puerto Rico, by adopting legislation that encourages pharmaceuticals to spur economic recovery and job creation in areas of high unemployment and poverty. Puerto Rico has skilled labor, the capacity, and the facilities to immediately take up additional pharmaceutical and personal protective equipment manufacturing, to aid in the fight against COVID-19 and increase supplies in the United States. In the mid-2000s, Puerto Rico lost over 100,000 good jobs to India and China. This loss led to our current debt crisis and many of the economic challenges we now face, further exasperated by a series of natural disasters. Given the constraints that exist in global supply chains and critical needs faced by all US citizens, current stimulus plans should include measures to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs immediately to Puerto Rico and revive Puerto Rico’s failing and debt-burdened economy. 2.) Nearly 60% of our children, US citizens, live in poverty in Puerto Rico. Our children are in vital need of Congressional action. The suffering our children face from the high-level of poverty, the recurring natural disasters and now COVID-19, can only be described as tragic. On August 1st, many of our children will lose
OT TINTNAT E H INK CALIE
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and nearly 190,000 vulnerable people will be cut from these benefits. Congressional action must ensure that by July 31st, $1.236 billion dollars is authorized to continue this program that impacts almost 1.5 million US citizens who reside in Puerto Rico. 3.) Congress should move forward additional disaster recovery monies for Puerto Rico. The devastating impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, earthquakes and the coronavirus impact US citizens on the island. Conservative estimates note that Puerto Rico needs an additional $60 billion in recovery aid. We hope Congress can move forward this aid for the US citizens living in Puerto Rico and for the broader commerce agenda critical for all US citizens. Please know we continue to hold you and your public service mission in our daily prayers. Sincerely, Roberto O. González Nieves OFM (Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico), Rubén González Medina CMF (Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce), Reverend Felipe Lozada Montañez (President of the Puerto Rico Council of Churches and Emeritus Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran in Puerto Rico), Reverend Miguel A. Morales Castro (General Pastor of the Christian Church -Disciples of Christ- in Puerto Rico), Reverend Héctor F. Ortiz Vidal (Bishop of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico), Reverend Esteban González Dobles (Former General Pastor of the Christian Church -Disciples of Christ- in Puerto Rico), Reverend Rafael Moreno Rivas (Emeritus Bishop of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico), Reverend Heriberto Martínez Rivera (General Secretary of the Puerto Rico Bible Society) and Reverend Enrique Camacho (Executive Director of Cáritas -Catholic Charitiesof Puerto Rico)
In local politics… endorsements to Latino
candidates by elected Latino officials and other stakeholders in Western MA during the primaries has already begun. FRAU RAMOS por MANUEL So far, State Sen. Adam Gómez (D-Hampden District) has given his endorsement to Joshua García, who is running for Mayor of the City of Holyoke. In Chicopee, Delmarina López, Chicopee Ward 3 City Council Candidate, has received the endorsement of 10th Hampden District State Representative, Carlos González. As there are other Latinx candidates, we will be watching what endorsements they receive as the September 21, 2021 primaries approach.
contents
2 Editorial / Editorial Puerto Rico Religious Leader Stimulus Letter to Congress 3 Portada / Front Page Michelle Falcón Fontánez and the Art of Powerful Storytelling 4 Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 Junio y Julio 2021 6 Maxwell Air Force Base host the Puerto Rico Project Language
Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley August Sessions Open
7 Cultura / Culture New Report Highlights Seven Latino Heritage Sites in Need of Protections 8 Música / Music Springfield JazzFest lays roots in a new location
March with pride from Springfield Museums to the kick-off performance of JazzFest
9 Educación / Education STCC Names Dean of the School of STEM
HCC creates ‘Bienvenidos’ scholarship to support Latinx students
10 U CLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative Receives $3 Million in State Funding 11 Former pro basketball player comes home to talk about hoops with youth at STCC 12 Política / Politics Critical race theory: What it is and what it isn’t 13 Medios /Media How Black writers and journalists have wielded punctuation in their activism 15 Deportes /Sports Springfield OTSL All-Star Game 2021 16 Springfield OTSL All-Star Game 2021
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Volume 17, No. 9 n August 2021
Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572
Editorial Policy
El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2021
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Michelle Falcón Fontánez and the Art of Powerful Storytelling by MANUEL FRAU RAMOS From July 11 to July 18, 2021 the A.P.E. Gallery in Northampton (MA) was the site of the ground breaking exhibition La casa de abuela. This event was the first ever art exhibition by a Puerto Rican artist-curator hosted by this popular artistic venue. This exhibition was the latest project by the social justice activist, award winning storyteller working in photography, film, theater and installation art and Holyoke native Michelle Falcón Fontánez. The project was made possible with the support of Northampton Arts Council, Emerson Enhancement Fund and Boston Building Resources. An important component of this exhibition was the fundraising event for the Puerto Rico based initiative, Reclaim Puerto Rico. Co-founded by Falcón Fontánez, this is a community program whose main mission is to support entrepreneurship on the island through yearly art fundraisers. La casa de abuela is a multimedia piece that recreates fragments of an abandoned Puerto Rican grandmother’s home in the countryside, displaying the belongings that the family had to leave behind: furniture, food, family photos, a favorite toy, and abuela’s café.
As a storyteller, Michelle Falcón Fontánez is notable for the wide range of media that she has mastered, among them, photography, film, theater, installation mediums, and in how she has utilized them to address social injustice issues and make change through art. As a social issues storyteller, she has “illuminated voices that have not been heard” through the wisely fusion of this multiple medium. Among Michelle’s early work is the solo production of a short Photo credit – Michelle Falcón Fontánez documentary, titled “PROMESA” about stories from Puerto Rican people and families in the midst of the economic crisis before Hurricane María ravaged the island. “PROMESA” is named after the acronym of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act that also means “promise” in Spanish. This project was followed by the creation of Reclaim Puerto Rico (RPR). Michelle is currently working on Las 5 Mujeres de Caguax, a multigenerational Boricua herstory of patriarchy and colonization survival. Another ongoing project is a series of photographs called “A Call to Our Ancestors.” The banner-type photo collection portrays a group of multigenerational Puerto Rican women, “each symbolizing a different element of the culture as well as their roles in society.” On April 2021, as part of El Corazón/The Heart of Holyoke, a community development program, the first large photographic banner of “A Call to Our Ancestors” portraying folkclor artist Brendaliz Cepeda was unveiled on one of the outside walls of the Cubit Living building on Main Street. Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies & Business Management from Hampshire College, and a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Media Art from Emerson College. Among the grants and awards she has received, we find El Corazón/The Heart of Holyoke, NEFA’s Public Art for Spatial Justice, New England Film Star Finalist, ECA Artist Grants Initiative, AWE Residency, The Ethics and the Common Good Project, CBD Project Grant, The Sander Thoenes Research Award, Elma Lewis Community-Centered Grant, Holyoke, Springfield, Northampton and South Hadley Cultural Councils.
Photo credit – Michelle Falcón Fontánez
The video and audio playing depict familiar and recognizable sounds heard across the Puerto Rican landscape as well as several anecdotes and conversations from the people who lived there. The interactive installation allows visitors to walk through the home, transporting them to a fragmented moment in the past. It allows them to come to terms with the loss of home. For this iteration, the home’s kitchen table is the sole section featured given that it is the centerpiece in many households across cultures. With this act, viewers are reminded of their own homes and what they may have left behind. The house in this form symbolizes the thousands of Puerto Rican families that have been displaced from the homeland due to many reasons. Among them the effects of the colonial status of the island, the devastating economic recession that has last several years and, most recently, a series of natural disasters that have created overall lack of opportunities for a sustainable life for many families.
For more information on her work visit falconfontanezfoto.com or phone 413.348.7492 In addition to the multimedia presentation, La casa de abuela exhibition included the sale of selected paintings by two well-known Puerto Rican artists, Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría, and Laura M. Pantoja. Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría, born in Guayama, Puerto Rico and a Springfield resident, is an accomplished educator, painter, writer, economist, and Puerto Rican historian with a Master’s in Economics from SNHU, New Hampshire. She is a feminist painter in line with the figurative, abstract, poetry, and assemblage art movements. Anaya-Alegría began painting in 1995 in the city of Northampton, Massachusetts with famed African American watercolorist painter Richard Yarde, who taught her how to paint Black people with their golden hues. Laura M. Pantoja, born in Puerto Rico, is an interior designer and an abstract painter who has been painting for over 35 years. Her work derives inspiration from a wide array of topics such as nature, ancient symbols, social justice, mysticism, as well as her culture and family.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2021
Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 - Junio y Julio 2021 Esta es la lista de los episodios producidos grabados durante los meses de junio y Julio 2021.
Wilson promulgó la Ley Jones-Shafroth que extiende la ciudadanía estadounidense a todos los residentes de Puerto Rico, hasta el presente.
Todos los episodios del Podcast 413 están accesibles en la página web de Holyoke Media (holyokemedia.org/programming/public-programmingarchive) al igual que en su página de Facebook y en su canal de YouTube. También se pueden ver en la página de Facebook de El Sol Latino.
Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, residente en la ciudad de New York nació y se crió en Puerto Rico. Es el autor de The Life Assignment (Four Way Books, 2020) y traductor de Colaterales / Collateral de Dinapiera Di Donato (Akashic Press / National Poetry Series, 2013). Maldonado ha recibido becas de CantoMundo, Queer | Arts | Mentorship y New York Foundation for the Arts. Es el Director Ejecutvo del 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center.
Episodio #57 – Junio 3, 2021 Lucila “Lucy” Sánchez, empresaria y dueña del nuevo e innovador negocio Azaleah’s Sewing Acedemy LLC and Handmade Shop localizado en la cuidad de Springfield, MA. Lucila “Lucy” Sánchez tuvo una exitosa carrera en la industria bancaria donde ocupó las posiciones de vicepresidenta y gerente general de una sucursal bancaria. En el verano del 2019, “Lucy” Sánchez siguió su pasión Lucila “Lucy” Sánchez por la educación infantil y abrió la guardería de niños, Lucy’s Kids Daycare en Chicopee, Massachusetts. En el 2021, a raíz de la pandemia Covid-19, Lucy lanzó la pequeñaa empresa “Azaleah’s Handmade”. El producto principal de esta empresa fue la creación mascarillas de tela de la mas alta calidad entre otros productos hechos a mano. Este proyecto evolucionó, de un negocio residencial a una empresa comercial. En mayo 2021, Azaleah’s Sewing Acedemy LLC and Handmade Shop abrió sus puertas en la cuidad de Springfield. Azaleah’s Sewing Acedemy LLC and Handmade Shop esta localizado en el 1728 Boston Road en la cuidad de Springfield, MA. Teléfono, 413-4552460. Se habla inglés y español
Common Capital is a community loan fund and non-profit organization that is committed to a thriving local Jennifer Sánchez economy in order to create positive social and community impacts. We align capital and other resources to community needs and opportunities. They accomplish this by providing financing and business assistance to small businesses and high-impact community projects. Every dollar that Common Capital deploys is an investment in job creation, providing opportunity for low-income people, essential community services, neighborhood rejuvenation and environmental sustainability. Jennifer is bilingual in Spanish and English. Contact information: phone (413) 333-1048 and email – jsanchez@commoncapitalma.org
Episodio #58 – Junio 9, 2021 Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, poeta, traductor y miembro fundador de El Proyecto de la Literatura puertorriqueña / The Puerto Rican Literature Project (PRLP) - https://puertoricanlit.org. Ricardo forma parte del Colectivo de académicos puertorriqueños que junto a la Universidad de Houston (UH) -Texas los cuales recibieron una subvención de casi $ 1.35 millones de la Fundación Andrew W. Mellon. Estos fondos serán utilizados para establecer un portal digital gratuito y de acceso abierto para que cualquiera pueda aprender o enseñar literatura puertorriqueña.
Episodio #59 – Junio 16, 2021 Jennifer Sánchez, Director of Outreach and Communications for the Common Capital based in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jennifer Sánchez was a Multicultural Advisor at Holyoke Community College (HCC), Director of the Gateway to College Program at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), and recently worked as a real estate agent.
Episodio #60 – Junio 23, 2021 Profesor Rafael Ocasio, Por segunda ocasión entrevistamos al autor y profesor de español en Agnes Scott College en Atlanta, Georgia. Rafael Ocasio acaba de publicar el libro Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico / Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico (Rutgers University Press | Mayo 17, 2021 | 262 páginas) Rafael Ocasio
crédito- Eric McNatt / Ricardo Alberto Maldonado /
El proyecto de la literatura puertorriqueña / The Puerto Rican Literature Project” (PRLP) incluirá una base de datos tanto en español como en inglés de aproximadamente 50,000 activos (fotografías, manuscritos, poemas, videos y materiales de archivo).También incluirá un archivo digital y recursos adicionales que documentarán la existencia de materiales y la experiencias poetas puertorriqueñas/os claves en el archipiélago de Puerto rico y su diáspora en los Estados Unido. El material recopilado se remonta a el 1917, cuando el presidente Woodrow
Esta nueva antología reúne números cuentos populares puertorriqueños. Estos fueron transmitidos oralmente durante generaciones antes de ser finalmente transcritos comenzando en 1914 por el equipo del famoso antropólogo Franz Boas. Estos encantadores cuentos ofrecen a los lectores un vistazo a la imaginación y las aspiraciones de los jíbaros, los campesinos de Puerto Rico. Sus áreas de interés incluyen: 1) la obra del escritor cubano Reinaldo Arenas; 2) el impacto de la santería en la literatura cubana; 3) la obra de la novelista latino-puertorriqueña Judith Ortiz Cofer. Se pueden comunicar con el profesor Rafael Ocasio vía correo electrónico: rocasio@agnesscott.edu continued on next page
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2021
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Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 - Junio y Julio 2021 continued from previous page Episodio #61 – Julio 14, 2021 Dr. Pablo Rodríguez. Esta entrevista es parte de la campaña de educación pública contra el COVID-19 “Juntos Sí Podemos” del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los EE.UU. La campaña busca aumentar la confianza en las vacunas contra el COVID-19 y reforzar las medidas básicas de prevención en la comunidad latina. Conversamos hablara sobre la iniciativa dirigida de Pablo Rodríguez concientizar la comunidad latina de la importancia de la vacunación contra el COVID-19.
Dr. Pablo Rodríguez es profesor asociado emérito de Obstetricia y Ginecología en la Facultad de Medicina Warren Alpert de Brown University en Rhode Island (RI). Es el ex Director Médico de Planned Parenthood de RI y es ex presidente de la Fundación de Rhode Island, el Instituto Internacional y del Proyecto del Sida, ambos en Rhode Island. Es miembro del subcomité de vacunas contra el COVID del Departamento de Salud de RI. Estos son algunos de los recursos confiables y disponibles en español: Juntos Sí Podemos. • Encuentre dónde puede vacunarse cerca de usted en vacunas.gov. • Envíe un mensaje de texto con su código postal al 822862 para encontrar vacunas cerca de usted. • También puede llamar al 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489) para concretar una cita. • Encuentre más información en el WhatsApp Mi Chat sobre vacunas COVID visitando https://api.whatsapp.com/message/WE4AEYTBTJP2M1 o marcando el número 1-833-636-1122.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2021
Maxwell Air Force Base host the Puerto Rico Project Language by Senior Airman RHONDA SMITH, Air University PA- July 01, 2021 Maxwell AFB hosts cadets from Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Project Language began May 28, 2021.
provides a continuum of learning and has evolved to meet the needs of new generational leaders.
The PRPL is a four week program that began in1975, where it derived from the Defense Language Institute English Language Center program. It was provided by the U.S. Army trainees, who were permanent residents or U.S. citizens, with English-language training and cultural immersion. “The cadets who have already taken the test have high scores except in the grammar and reading portion because English is their second language”, said Sarah Martin, an English Language instructor and supervisor. “Our cadets are intelligent and capable leaders, the only barrier is their English proficiency.” The training aims to develop the cadets to create a more diverse force while providing the necessary skills to pass the Air Force Officer’s Qualification Test, such as, verbal skills and confidence needed to communicate during live training events. The cadets attended multiple classes a day that focused on reading comprehension, grammar, and word knowledge. The classes consist of open discussions on modern topics and policies, reading lessons, brain teasers, and competitive word games. “My experience has been superb and a great opportunity for me to improve my English, ‘’ said cadet Gffrey Torres, participant of the PRPL program.” “It has also helped me improve my leadership and followership skills and enhance my understanding of Air Force traditions.” The PRPL program is one of many at the International Officer School that
Maxwell Air Force Base host the Puerto Rico Project Language - Cadets, participants of the Puerto Rico Project Language program, pose for a group photo at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, June 17, 2021. The PRPL is a four week program that was derived from the Defense Language Institute English Language Center program that provided U.S. Army trainees, who were permanent residents or U.S. citizens, with English-language training and cultural immersion. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhonda Smith)
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Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley August Sessions Open SPINGFIELD, MA | HEALING RACISM INSTITUTE OF PIONEER VALLEY | July 14, 2021 —The Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley (HRIPV) has announced the return of its in-person programming with space available for its August two-day signature Healing Racism trainings on Monday, August 16 and Tuesday, August 17; and on Thursday, August 19 and Friday August 20. Dates were also released for HRIPV’s new virtual seminars, currently underway. Sessions are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days, and will take place at STCC Technology Park in the Corridan Center Conference Room, 1 Federal Street in Springfield. For a limited time, registration is discounted at $475 for the two-days. To register and view more seminar dates, visit https://www. healingracismpv.org/seminars#Inperson. HRIPV’s new virtual series is four parts on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Zoom, for two hours each session. The complete online curriculum was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to sustain and grow HRIPV’s reach and impact. The four parts are: Part 1 - A Shared Language Towards Equity; Part 2 - History of Racism; Part 3 - Love and Fear: Our Greatest Motivators; and Part 4 - 5 Shifts: A Model for Solving Complex Problems in More Effective Ways. The next virtual session will take place August 3, 5, 10 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The virtual program is $199 per person. To register for this session and to view upcoming dates, visit https://www. healingracismpv.org/seminars#VirtualSeminars. The Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley was formed in 2012; since then over 1,000 people from Western Massachusetts and throughout the state of Massachusetts have participated in its signature two-day Healing
Racism program. HRIPV was formed as a result of the City2City of Pioneer Valley visit to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2011 where area leaders discovered a similar model embedded in the Greater Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. In addition to HRIPV’s signature two-day training seminars, HRIPV offers half and full-day board/staff training and cohort development whereby the Institute provides tools and training, allowing organizations to continue the internal process of examining racism and its impact on organizations and the larger community.
The Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley works to build a racismfree community. Founded in 2012, HRIPV has engaged over 1,000 individuals and 200 organizations across nearly 20 sectors through its signature two-day seminars held in the Pioneer Valley and in Greater Boston. The Institute provides a safe environment to learn about the impact of racism on communities and individuals and offers a process that is engaging and transformative. Learn more at https://www.healingracismpv.org/.
Cultura / Culture
El Sol Latino August 2021
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New Report Highlights Seven Latino Heritage Sites in Need of Protection WASHINGTON, DC | HISPANIC ACCESS FOUNDATION | July 7, 2021– A new report, Place, Story and Culture: An Inclusive Approach to Protecting Latino Heritage Sites, released today by the Latino Heritage Scholars, an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation, emphasizes the need for the protection of seven Latino heritage sites that embody the architectural, cultural and deep historical roots of the Latino community currently in need of preservation. The scholars are a group of young Latino professionals focused on historic preservation and ensuring that Latino history is protected, shared, and celebrated as part of the U.S. narrative. “Even though for generations Latinos have continued to prove they are essential to the United States, sites that commemorate Latino heritage are disproportionately excluded when it comes to officially designated heritage and conservation sites,” said Manuel Galaviz, co-author of the report who worked on earning National Historical Landmark status for Chicano Park in California. “We sought to uncover the shared history and diverse narratives through extensive research and community outreach. However, it is not enough to simply bring these stories out from the shadows. We must ensure these places are federally protected through the National Registry of Historic Sites, Traditional Cultural Properties, and National Parks and Monuments through the Antiquities Act to ensure future generations can visit these places and learn about them.” The Latino Heritage Scholars work with community leaders, historic preservation professionals and stakeholders to promote the preservation of sites that embody the contribution of Latinos to the shared national identity and narrative. Many of the sites face threats from weathering of structures to development and gentrification that jeopardize the long-term future of the location. “Our hope is that in highlighting these locations, we can raise awareness about why we need to preserve these locations and how essential they are to telling a more complete story of the contributions of diverse communities to this nation,” said Norma Hartell, a co-author of the report who successfully worked to list the New Mexican Chope’s Town Cafe and Bar on the National Registry of Historic Places. “We want to help Latinos feel pride in their histories, culture and communities.” The seven sites presented in Place, Story and Culture: An Inclusive Approach to Protecting Latino Heritage Sites are: • #1: Castner Range (Texas) - In the heart of El Paso, Texas, Castner Range provides a solid backdrop to the burgeoning city, which has grown around the range and has embraced it as a feature of the landscape.
Castner Range has been the ancestral home to the Comanche and Apache people, and various Indigenous communities continue to view the range as sacred. • #2: Chepa’s Park (California) - Located in the Logan Barrio neighborhood of Santa Ana, California’s oldest Mexican American neighborhood, Chepa’s Park is more than a site for recreational activities—it is a landmark serving as a testament to the legacy of community leader Josephina “Chepa” Andrade. • #3: Duranguito (Texas) - Downtown El Paso has a neighborhood called “Duranguito,” named after Durango Street on its western side, with a unique and storied history. It is the oldest neighborhood in the city, from its beginnings as a conversion site of Spanish colonizers to its “zona libre” period during the U.S.-Mexico War to its continued binational, multiethnic community. • #4: Fefa’s Market (Rhode Island) - Fefa’s Market in Providence is a notable site to the Latino community in Rhode Island. In the mid-1960s Josefina Rosario opened what became the first Dominican-owned bodega on Broad Street. Rosario, recognized by her nickname “Dona Fefa,” became instrumental in the growth and evolution of the Dominican community that sprawled in Providence. • #5: Friendship Park (California) - Located at the southwestern edge of the United States and the northwestern corner of Latin America, Friendship Park is not only a significant place to the history of the United States but is necessary to transborder cultural connectivity between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. • #6: Gila River (New Mexico) - The Gila River system is a valuable resource to all New Mexicans in that it provides a beautiful natural landscape to be enjoyed and appreciated by people from all over, a necessary environment for wildlife to thrive, an important window into the history of New Mexico, a significant agricultural resource, and an important place to further the study of our natural environment. • #7: Hazard Park (California) - Hazard Park is an important historical site contributing to one of the most significant youth-led Chicano social movements, the 1968 East Los Angeles Blowouts. It is also among the few green public spaces in East Los Angeles, on which generations of families have depended for relaxation and recreation. “Numerous sites dot our American landscapes and cities that tell a story about our diverse past – places that embody the architectural, cultural and deep historical roots of the Latino community,” said Ashleyann Perez-Rivera, co-author of the report. “By failing to take steps toward protection, we risk losing pieces of our past forever.”
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Música / Music
El Sol Latino August 2021
Springfield JazzFest lays roots in a new location SPRINGFIELD, MA - July 19, 2021 - Blues to Green presents its 8th Annual Event: Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival. This year as the festival celebrates its much-anticipated return, the event can be found in its new location, the historic Stearns Square in the heart of Metro Center’s Club Quarter. The festival will take place on Saturday, August 14th, from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The Festival is FREE with RSVP, https://thirdrow.live/sjr/ This year’s festival will begin at the Wood Museum of Springfield History, where ticket holders will have free access to the ‘Horn Man: The Life and Musical Legacy of Charles Neville’exhibit. At the museum, festival attendees are invited to participate in a free percussion workshop that will culminate in a parade led by Henri Smith & New Orleans Friends and Flavours and ending at the stage for our kick-off performance. It is Blues to Green’s continued mission through the presentation of the Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival to encourage its audience to reflect on the diverse history and ancestral roots of music and culture while providing a catalyst to bring communities together and envision a better and more united future through music and arts. This year’s exciting lineup will be a mix of nostalgic and familiar faces as well as up-and-coming artists that are sure to ignite a fire for any music lovers through dynamic and transformative music from around the world: Rev. Sekou tours with The Freedom Fighters; their concerts invoke the spirit of the southern Tent Revival, where all are welcome regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. Rev. Sekou has released two critically acclaimed albums, along with producing for six-time Grammy nominated Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars. The sonic landscape of Rev. Sekou’s music captures the toil of Southern field hands, the guttural cry of chain gangs, the vibrancy of contemporary street protest, backwoods juke joints, and shotgun churches. Hailey Brinnel is a trombonist, vocalist, and educator based in Philadelphia. At the age of 12, she began performing throughout New England with her father, Dave Brinnel. Now at 25, she has performed at prestigious venues around the world, having played with artists such as Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Ingrid Jensen, Anat Cohen, and Pell.
As part of the Temple University Jazz Band led by Terell Stafford, she has played and recorded alongside many of today’s top jazz artists, including Ken Peplowski, Jimmy Heath, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jon Faddis, Luis Bonilla, Wycliffe Gordon, René Marie and Dick Oatts. In addition, she shared the stage with Maurice Hines and The DIVA Jazz Orchestra as part of the national tour of the Hines’ off-Broadway production “Tappin’ Thru Life”. Brinnel was a finalist in the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. As the frontman of Etienne Charles and Creole Soul, Etienne Charles has been hailed by The New York Times as “an auteur” (Ben Ratliff) and by Jazz Times as a “daring improviser who delivers with heart-wrenching lyricism” (Bill Milkowski). Trinidad-born Charles has received critical acclaim for his exciting performances, thrilling compositions, and knack for connecting with audiences worldwide. Charles brings a careful study of myriad rhythms from the French, Spanish, English and Dutch speaking Caribbean to his compositions. Crucially, as a soloist, he fully grasps the New Orleans trumpet tradition; which is readily discernible in his trademark instrumental swagger, and what famed Crescent City Pianist, Jelly Roll Morton so succinctly captured in the now immortal phrase, ‘The Spanish Tinge’. Experience the full lineup here: https://springfieldjazzfest.com/2021lineup/ For more information, please contact: Kristin Neville kristin@bluestogreen. org / WEB: https://springfieldjazzfest.com facebook.com/SpringfieldJazzFest
March with pride from Springfield Museums to the kick-off performance of JazzFest SPRINGFIELD, MA - July 26, 2021 - This year’s Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, presented by Blues to Green, is proud to partner with Springfield Museums to curate exciting pre-event activities featuring free admission to the Wood Museum of Springfield History, engaging workshops, and a high-energy parade led by the effervescent Grand Marshall, Henri Smith. The festival will take place on Saturday, August 14th in the streets of Stearns Square with music from 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm.
Square and the stage of the kick-off performance by Henri Smith & New Orleans Friends and Flavours. All are welcome to join the parade and a passionate crowd consisting of The Berkshire Bateria & Bossa Triba Drum, Expandable Brass Band, students and faculty of the Community Music School of Springfield, and the general public. Through the Samba beat of Berkshire Bateria, we create our own unique hybrid approach to the second line tradition.
Enjoy free admission beginning at 10:00 am to the Wood Museum of Springfield History in honor of the late Charles Neville and the newly opened exhibit “Horn Man: The Life and Musical Legacy of Charles Neville.” Charles was responsible for a great deal of positive change and awareness through music with his volunteer work for the Community Music of Springfield and the founding of Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival, which is now in its 8th season.
“To me, playing and hearing jazz music is like letting myself go free. It allows me to choose what I want to do, not something that is already written... Without the band camp and the festival, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to play a brass instrument. I wasn’t really into jazz... but now it is one of my favorite genres.” - Roberto Duran Brea, participant of the Brass Band Camp at the Community Music School of Springfield.
On the lawn and patio of the Wood History Museum, enjoy art activities from 10:30 am until the start of the parade. At 11:30 am, join Berkshire Bateria for an all-ages percussion workshop and prelude to the parade. Don’t worry; we’ve got all of your drum needs covered! This rhythmic workshop will introduce participants to the New Orleans Second Line Tradition as things are handed off to parade leader and New Orleans native Henri Smith. Simultaneously, the museum is offering a fun art activity.
All of the 2021 Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival activities and concerts are free. This year there are capacity limits as we continue to keep everyone’s health and comforts in mind. RSVPing is a quick and easy way to reserve your spot. Simply head to thirdrow.live/sjr.
The historic Second Line Parade will leave the Springfield Museums at 12:30 pm sharp and dance its way through the streets until hitting Stearns
Experience the full lineup here: https://springfieldjazzfest.com/2021-lineup/
When parking for this event, we ask all attendees to use the TD flat lot or the Civic Center parking garage. Plan extra time to find parking as these lots may fill up.
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino August 2021
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STCC Names Dean of the School of STEM SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | July 14, 2021 – Lara Sharp has been named dean of the School of STEM at Springfield Technical Community College. Geraldine de Berly, vice president of Academic Affairs at STCC, welcomed Sharp in a recent email to the campus community. De Berly highlighted Sharp’s professional experience, which includes six years at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, Fla., as the program director for Engineering, Manufacturing and Building Arts and also serving as the acting dean of Natural Sciences, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Building Arts. From 2013-2015, she was at the Corporate College of Polk State College, in Winter Haven, Fla., managing National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Labor (DOL) grants in advanced manufacturing and engineering technology. Sharp spent more than 11 years teaching chemistry, natural science and engineering to high school students at various locations. Sharp also brings industry experience, having worked at Specialty Minerals Inc. as a process engineer and an operator technician as well as an educational consultant for PASCO Scientific. She has been recognized for her outstanding teaching as well as her community engagement including a STEM Woman of the Year Award from Girls Inc. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. “I am honored to join STCC as the dean of STEM,” Sharp said. “STEM has been a part of my life as an engineer, teacher, mentor, and daughter of a science teacher and a nurse. I look forward to working with everyone to participate in the continuation of STCC’s storied reputation as THE technical community college in Massachusetts.” De Berly said Sharp is familiar with Western New England and its demographics. She is knowledgeable of the process required to build STEM programs. “As the new STEM Dean, she will work closely with the faculty and other key
stakeholders to increase the diversity of underrepresented students and faculty in STEM in addition to creating crossdisciplinary synergies,” de Berly said. Sharp holds a Master of Science in industrial engineering from the University of South Florida, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The School of STEM at STCC includes Lara Sharp, new dean of the School of programs in advanced manufacturing STEM at STCC and engineering technologies, graphic communication and photography, landscape design and management, optics and photonics, as well as science and computer-related programs. Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333. Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), the Commonwealth’s only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC’s highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequalled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
HCC creates ‘Bienvenidos’ scholarship to support Latinx students HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | July 20, 2021 Holyoke Community College Foundation has allocated $75,000 to endow a new scholarship fund specifically for Latinx students attending HCC. Through the “Bienvenidos Latinx Scholarship,” HCC will provide financial support up to $2,500 each to eligible Latinx students attending or planning to attend HCC. The Foundation plans to award Bienvenidos scholarships worth $50,000 to 20 students during the inaugural year, with the remaining $25,000 set aside in an endowed fund for future years. The deadline to apply for Bienvenidos scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year is Friday, Aug. 6. The online application is available on the HCC website at: hcc.edu/bienvenidos “HCC marked a major milestone in 2016 when the U.S. Department of Education recognized the college as a ‘Hispanic Serving Institution,’ which means at least 25 percent of our students are of Latinx or Hispanic heritage,” said Amanda Sbriscia, vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. “As an HSI, though, we are committed to doing more than simply serve our Latinx students. We want to see them thrive.” Bienvenidos was chosen as the name of the scholarship program because it means “welcome” in Spanish. Beyond the direct financial support, scholarship recipients will also be connected to peer and alumni mentors and workshops to ensure their ongoing success.
“The Bienvenidos scholarships will open doors to a college education and welcome Latinx students into our community with everything they need to succeed at HCC,” Sbriscia said. “That includes providing a culture that embraces inclusion and increases their sense of belonging. The name of this new scholarship was an important piece of prioritizing that welcoming culture – Bienvenidos says it all.” Alexandra Santiago ‘21 of Holyoke was Applicants selected for scholarship the first HCC student to graduate with her awards by the college’s Hispanic associate degree in Latinx Studies. Leadership Committee will be invited along with their families to celebrate during a first-ever Bienvenidos Latinx Scholarship reception on the HCC campus on Sat., Aug. 28.
To be eligible for the Bienvenidos scholarship, students must be enrolled or intend to enroll in at least six credits at Holyoke Community College for the fall 2021 semester and must identify themselves as a Hispanic, Latina/o, or Latinx. The Bienvenidos Scholarship is open (but not limited) to DACA, undocumented, and international students. Preference will be given to students residing in Holyoke, Springfield, and Chicopee.
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Educación / Education
El Sol Latino August 2021
UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative Receives $3 Million in State Funding The support for LPPI comes as California prepares for economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, which had disproportionate and devastating public health and economic impacts on the state’s diverse Latino communities. LOS ANGELES, CA | UCLA NEWSROOM – July 13, 2021. The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (LPPI) has received $3 million in ongoing annual state funding to conduct research and develop policy solutions to address inequities that disproportionately impact Latinos and other communities of color. The state budget signed July 12 included funding for LPPI. The resources will be used to continue the organization’s applied research to help inform future policy efforts and to measure how government actions influence the economic, educational, health and quality-of-life outcomes for the state’s workforce. “It is clear that California’s story — its future, its economic potential, its role as a national leader — is intertwined with the story of the Latino community,” said Sonja Diaz, founding director of LPPI. “We are honored that California has recognized the importance of investing in putting a data-driven lens to shape and implement a 21st century agenda, and we are ready to make sure that research and facts pave a path toward a more just and prosperous future for all Californians.” The funding was championed by the California Latino Legislative Caucus, with leadership from Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and Assembly members Robert Rivas and Lorena Gonzalez, the chair, vice chair and former chair of the caucus. “California is the world’s fifth-largest economy, and our innovation and prowess are made possible by the diverse and vibrant communities that demonstrated how essential they are during the pandemic,” Durazo said. “We need to understand how to better include and empower communities who represent California’s future, and there is no better partner to help us understand how to lead with justice and equity than UCLA LPPI.”
“Data tell important stories about what’s working, who is getting left behind, and how our taxpayer investments can be efficient and equitable,” Gonzalez said. “We are proud to partner with UCLA LPPI to make sure we have a data-driven Latino lens on the vision of a vibrant California.” LPPI has been on the front lines of driving important policy conversations, particularly as it became clear that the COVID-19 crisis was particularly impacting underserved communities of color. Throughout the pandemic, LPPI research that drove policy outcomes included a report that looked at the racial disparities in what communities were receiving federal aid and on the impacts of the Latino physician shortage amid a public health pandemic. As the vaccination process got underway, LPPI convened more than 70 Latino leaders across the state to urge for better data and equitydriven implementation, which were implemented by the state. The organization’s research is also focused on highlighting the importance of representation in democratic and civic institutions and processes, and what it means when Californians’ leadership does not represent the totality of communities it serves. For example, a research report highlighted the lack of Latino representation in the California Redistricting Commission, which helped generate action and attention on the selection process. At a national level, research included a report that advocated for the creation of a Latino-focused Smithsonian museum. LPPI was incubated at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the UCLA Division of Social Sciences.
¡Solicita
Ahora! para Otoño 2021
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biingüe arte, cultura, media politics Natalia Muñoz
Tu Programa: Donde Quiera y a Cualquier Hora ¡Mezcla y Combina Clases en Línea y en el Campus! • Programas de Carrera y de Transferencia en Manufactura, STEM, Cuidado Médico, Negocios, Servicios Sociales, y Artes Liberales • ¡El más económico en Springfield! • ¡Nuestros programas de educación general están garantiza dos para transferirse a otros colegios y universidades de MA! Nos encantaría que te comunicaras con nosotros. Contáctanos al: Teléfono: (413) 755-3333 Email: admissions@stcc.edu Chat: stcc.edu/chat 6/22/21 El Sol Latino 1/4 page: 4.75” x 5.75” Manuel Frau Ramos: manuelfrau@gmail.com Due: 5 days prior to the run month Runs: July 2021
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino August 2021
11
Former pro basketball player comes home to talk about hoops with youth at STCC SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | July 26, 2021 - During his professional basketball career, Kevin Freeman played the game in far-off places, from the Philippines, to Greece to Mexico. It was no doubt a thrill for him to globe-trot, but on a recent summer day, he was happy to be on a court at Springfield Technical Community College, in the city where he was born. Freeman was a special guest during the Basketball and Physics weeklong program for youth in their early teens, which is part of the College for Kids summer program at STCC. College for Kids is still accepting registration for other programs scheduled in July and August. “For me it’s important to come back to Springfield. I grew up down the street,” Freeman said from the gymnasium at STCC. “I’m an Eastern Ave. kid. I spent time in this gym working out.”
always keep their academic pursuits as their top priority. Several of the youth at the camp said they dream of one day playing for the NBA or making a career in sports. “The reason I’m here today is to talk about dreaming,” Freeman said. “When I was coming up, I wanted to be a professional basketball player. That’s everybody’s dream who plays basketball.” To make the dream come true, Freeman told the young people they need to stay focused and avoid negative influences. He said when he was growing up he made sure to avoid people around him who were part of gangs or using drugs. “For me my focus day in and day out was how do I get to become the best middle school player, high school player, and then get on to college,” Freeman said. “It started with my social life. You’ve got to keep that in order. I don’t know what you want to be – a doctor, teacher or a lawyer – if there’s anything positive you aspire to be, there’s going to be negative people around you trying to take that from you. Whatever you aspire to be, you’ve got to keep that carrot in front of you.” Lidya Rivera-Early, director of Community Engagement at STCC, thanked Freeman for speaking at STCC and said his talk was engaging and inspiring. “Everyone in our College for Kids basketball and physics program was looking forward to his visit,” Rivera-Early said. “They had a chance to hear from a positive role model, someone who grew up here, stayed focused on his dreams and went on to have an incredible career. I think the kids could apply his advice to whatever they are focused on doing – whether it’s sports or pursuing a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) or a health field. STCC is a great place for them, because we help students make their dreams come true.”
Kevin Freeman, left, with participants in the College for Kids “Basketball and Physics” program at STCC.
Freeman said he was impressed with STCC’s program, which connects basketball drills with academics. Taught by the staff from 413 Skills and Drills, the program exposes participants to how mathematical concepts affect the game.
The kids enrolled in the program said they took Freeman’s comments to heart as they went back to shooting hoops on the STCC court.
The participants said they were thrilled to be at STCC playing basketball during the week, especially after being cooped up for a year due to the pandemic. Skye Andrews of Springfield said of the basketball and physics program: “I like it. We’re learning every day, and getting better”
“I saw the academic tie in. I thought it was a great event that STCC is hosting,” Freeman said. “I try to be a positive inspiration. I didn’t always have that growing up, so I want to give that piece back.”
Another participant, Julian Chatman, of Springfield, said he dreams of one day playing for the Boston Celtics and thinks the STCC basketball program for kids is a perfect place for him this summer.
Freeman on July 22 spoke with the camp attendees about his career in basketball. He was a starter on the University of Connecticut’s first NCAA championship team. Following the Huskies’ championship year, Freeman was named to the USA men’s basketball team at the 1999 World University Games in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He played professionally for 11 years in several countries. He served on the UConn basketball coaching staff.
“It’s an honor to be able to play basketball here all week,” Julian said. “It’s an honor to be able to work with everybody. Just seeing everybody here playing basketball and having fun is truly amazing.”
In his current role leading UConn’s National C Club, Freeman devotes most of his time to mentoring youth, fostering relationships through networking and creating opportunities for student athletes. Freeman also established The Kevin Freeman Basketball Academy this year.
Brandon said he’s focused on going to college, but added, “I think I can keep on going on to the NBA.”
Freeman offered advice on ways to develop as a basketball player, urging young people to create and stick to workout routines. He reminded them to
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
Brandon McCloud Jr., of East Longmeadow, said, “It was inspirational. I liked everything he said. It was really nice.”
To find out more about upcoming College for Kids programs, visit stcc.edu/ kids or contact Lidya Rivera-Early at lmearly@stcc.edu.
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Política / Politics
El Sol Latino August 2021
Critical race theory: What it is and what it isn’t by DAVID MIGUEL GRAY This article was originally published in The Conversation | June 30, 2021
What critical race theory is
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana sent a letter to fellow Republicans on June 24, 2021, stating: “As Republicans, we reject the racial essentialism that critical race theory teaches … that our institutions are racist and need to be destroyed from the ground up.”
Critical race theory is a field of intellectual inquiry that demonstrates the legal codification of racism in America.
Kimberlé Crenshaw, a law professor and central figure in the development of critical race theory, said in a recent interview that critical race theory “just says, let’s pay attention to what has happened in this country, and how what has happened in this country is continuing to create differential outcomes. … Critical Race Theory … is more patriotic than those who are opposed to it because … we believe in the promises of equality. And we know we can’t get there if we can’t confront and talk honestly about inequality.” Rep. Banks’ account is demonstrably false and typical of many people publicly declaring their opposition to critical race theory. Crenshaw’s characterization, while true, does not detail its main features. So what is critical race theory and what brought it into existence? The development of critical race theory by legal scholars such as Derrick Bell and Crenshaw was largely a response to the slow legal progress and setbacks faced by African Americans from the end of the Civil War, in 1865, through the end of the civil rights era, in 1968. To understand critical race theory, you need to first understand the history of African American rights in the U.S.
The history
After 304 years of enslavement, then-former slaves gained equal protection under the law with passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868. The 15th Amendment, in 1870, guaranteed voting rights for men regardless of race or “previous condition of servitude.” Between 1866 and 1877 – the period historians call “Radical Reconstruction” – African Americans began businesses, became involved in local governance and law enforcement and were elected to Congress. This early progress was subsequently diminished by state laws throughout the American South called “Black Codes,” which limited voting rights, property rights and compensation for work; made it illegal to be unemployed or not have documented proof of employment; and could subject prisoners to work without pay on behalf of the state. These legal rollbacks were worsened by the spread of “Jim Crow” laws throughout the country requiring segregation in almost all aspects of life. Grassroots struggles for civil rights were constant in post-Civil War America. Some historians even refer to the period from the New Deal Era, which began in 1933, to the present as “The Long Civil Rights Movement.” The period stretching from Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which found school segregation to be unconstitutional, to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination in housing, was especially productive. The civil rights movement used practices such as civil disobedience, nonviolent protest, grassroots organizing and legal challenges to advance civil rights. The U.S.’s need to improve its image abroad during the Cold War importantly aided these advancements. The movement succeeded in banning explicit legal discrimination and segregation, promoted equal access to work and housing and extended federal protection of voting rights. However, the movement that produced legal advances had no effect on the increasing racial wealth gap between Blacks and whites, while school and housing segregation persisted.
Through the study of law and U.S. history, it attempts to reveal how racial oppression shaped the legal fabric of the U.S. Critical race theory is traditionally less concerned with how racism manifests itself in interactions with individuals and more concerned with how racism has been, and is, codified into the law. There are a few beliefs commonly held by most critical race theorists. First, race is not fundamentally or essentially a matter of biology, but rather a social construct. While physical features and geographic origin play a part in making up what we think of as race, societies will often make up the rest of what we think of as race. For instance, 19th- and early-20th-century scientists and politicians frequently described people of color as intellectually or morally inferior, and used those false descriptions to justify oppression and discrimination. Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who devised the term ‘critical race theory,’ explains what it is – and isn’t. Second, these racial views have been codified into the nation’s foundational documents and legal system. For evidence of that, look no further than the “Three-Fifths Compromise” in the Constitution, whereby slaves, denied the right to vote, were nonetheless treated as part of the population for increasing congressional representation of slave-holding states. Third, given the pervasiveness of racism in our legal system and institutions, racism is not aberrant, but a normal part of life. Fourth, multiple elements, such as race and gender, can lead to kinds of compounded discrimination that lack the civil rights protections given to individual, protected categories. For example, Crenshaw has forcibly argued that there is a lack of legal protection for Black women as a category. The courts have treated Black women as Black, or women, but not both in discrimination cases – despite the fact that they may have experienced discrimination because they were both. These beliefs are shared by scholars in a variety of fields who explore the role of racism in areas such as education, health care and history. Finally, critical race theorists are interested not just in studying the law and systems of racism, but in changing them for the better.
What critical race theory is not “Critical race theory” has become a catch-all phrase among legislators attempting to ban a wide array of teaching practices concerning race. State legislators in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia have introduced legislation banning what they believe to be critical race theory from schools. But what is being banned in education, and what many media outlets and legislators are calling “critical race theory,” is far from it. Here are sections from identical legislation in Oklahoma and Tennessee that propose to ban the teaching of these concepts. As a philosopher of race and racism, I can safely say that critical race theory does not assert the following: (1) One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; continued on page 14
Medios /Media
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How Black writers and journalists have wielded punctuation in their activism by EURIE DAHN This article was originally published in The Conversation | June 18, 2021
clarify. It can extend, contradict and play with meaning.
Using punctuation and capitalization as a form of protest doesn’t exactly scream radicalism.
Think of the difference between ending a sentence with an exclamation point and with an ellipsis, or the way emoticons made of repurposed punctuation can be used to denote sarcasm or add playfulness and emotion.
But in debates over racial justice, punctuation can carry a lot of weight. During the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, mainstream news organizations grappled with whether to capitalize the first letter of “black” when referring to Black people. Of course, writing “Black” was already common practice in activist circles. Eventually The Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today and many other outlets declared that they, too, would capitalize that first letter. It turns out the push to capitalize “black” is only the most recent way Black writers and activists have pushed back against entrenched power through ostensibly bland elements of writing. As I discuss in my recent book, “Jim Crow Networks: African American Periodical Cultures,” Black activism in the media can take a variety of forms – some more subtle than others. Seemingly unimportant elements of writing have long been adapted as tools of Black activism. Much like the recent drive to capitalize “black,” activists have deployed punctuation to question the legitimacy of confessions, criticize justifications made for lynchings and highlight the undervaluing of Black expertise and knowledge.
The power of punctuation
Punctuation was developed in the 3rd century B.C. to visually separate sentences and improve comprehension. But punctuation can do more than
This makes it a useful tool for activists who seek to upend dominant narratives.
Quotation marks convey suspicion
A push to capitalize has actually happened before. In the 1920s, influential Black intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois wrote to The New York Times and Encyclopedia Britannica to argue that the word “negro” ought to have its first letter capitalized. A decade later, to counter racism in the white press, the Black press used quotation marks when reporting on the case of a young man named Robert Nixon, who was convicted of murder. In 1938, the white-owned Chicago Tribune notoriously described Nixon – who would serve as the basis for protagonist Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright’s 1940 novel “Native Son” – as an “animal” whose “physical characteristics suggest an earlier link in the species.” However, the city’s influential Black newspaper, the Chicago Defender, covered the case differently, reporting Nixon’s claim that his confession was the result of police coercion. In a 1938 article, the Defender included a subheading that declared, “Nixon Also Refutes ‘Confession’.” These simple quotation marks signaled doubt over the legitimacy of this confession, while teaching newspaper readers to be suspicious of so-called legal facts. As sociologist Mary Pattillo notes in her book “Black on the Block,” the Defender’s strategic use of quotation marks called into question official accounts of Nixon as a murderer. In doing so, the paper highlighted the unfair treatment of Black people by the media, police and court system.
The code of the question mark
Similarly, Black activists used question marks to criticize mainstream accounts of events during the Jim Crow era. In her 1892 pamphlet “Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases,” antilynching activist Ida B. Wells used question marks in parentheses on four occasions to interrogate descriptions of crimes supposedly committed by Black Americans. For example, she wrote, “So great is Southern hate and prejudice, they legally(?) hung poor little thirteen year old Mildrey Brown at Columbia, S. C., Oct. 7th, on the circumstantial evidence that she poisoned a white infant.” She also quoted from one of her earlier newspaper editorials in which she discussed the lynchings of eight Black men by saying that, in each case, “citizens broke(?) into the penitentiary and got their man.” The question mark casts doubt on this “break-in” and suggests that the perpetrators were, in fact, aided and abetted by law enforcement in murdering these men. These simple question marks subtly undermined a legal system that sought to cast the murders of a young girl and eight men as just responses. Wells indicted not only the legal system but also the white press, which was often an accomplice to racial violence.
Afrofuturist questions
The writer, editor and activist Pauline E. Hopkins similarly used question marks within parentheses in her early Afrofuturist novel “Of One Blood.” The novel – which contains depictions of a leopard attack, a lost African city and a ghost – was serialized in the pages of the Colored American Magazine from 1902 to 1903. At one point, the protagonist, a Black doctor, brings Richard Wright. Library of Congress
continued on page 14
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Salud / Health
Critical race theory: What it is and what it isn’t continued from page 12 (2) An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously; (3) An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual’s race or sex; (4) An individual’s moral character is determined by the individual’s race or sex; (5) An individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;
El Sol Latino August 2021
How Black writers and journalists have wielded punctuation in their activism continued from page 13 a patient back to life. Yet the responses to this miracle display ambivalence: “The scientific journals of the next month contained wonderful and wondering (?) accounts of the now celebrated case, – reanimation after seeming death.”
What most of these bills go on to do is limit the presentation of educational materials that suggest that Americans do not live in a meritocracy, that foundational elements of U.S. laws are racist, and that racism is a perpetual struggle from which America has not escaped.
Much as Wells used the question mark to dismiss the official accounts of lynchings, Hopkins deploys it to undermine the scientific establishment and cast doubt on the journals for their stunned and disbelieving responses to the medical marvel.
Americans are used to viewing their history through a triumphalist lens, where we overcome hardships, defeat our British oppressors and create a country where all are free with equal access to opportunities.
For Hopkins, the question mark worked to demand respect for Black expertise and knowledge.
Obviously, not all of that is true.
Punctuation’s possibilities
(6) An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individual’s race or sex.
Critical race theory provides techniques to analyze U.S. history and legal institutions by acknowledging that racial problems do not go away when we leave them unaddressed. DAVID MIGUEL GRAY - Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Affiliate, Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1997 (Philosophy with a Minor in Linguistics) and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. He has published work in leading journals such as Philsophers’ Imprint, Mind, Schizophrenia Research, The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and The Southern Journal of Philosophy. Gray works in the Philosophy of Psychology (with a focus on Cognitive Psychopathology) as well as the Philosophy of Race and Racism. His paper ““Racial Norms: A Reinterpretation of Du Bois’ ‘The Conservation of Races’” was awarded the 2012 William James Prize by the American Philosophical Association.
Pauline Hopkins. Wikimedia Commons
Punctuation activism can be an important companion to on-the-ground activism. It reveals language’s capacity to transform the world. At the same time, it exposes language’s often hidden role in maintaining structures of power. Certainly, punctuation – like language overall – is typically used in less radical ways. But these examples of early 20th century Black writers, activists and journalists point to punctuation’s possibilities in questioning entrenched power structures and laying claim to alternative futures. EURIE DAHN is an Associate Professor of English at the College of Saint Rose. She specializes in African American literature and periodicals of the 20th century. She is the author of “Jim Crow Networks: African American Periodical Cultures” (University of Massachusetts Press 2021) and codirector of “The Digital Colored American Magazine” (coloredamerican.org). She is also a co-editor of a forthcoming edition of Pauline Hopkins’s early Afrofuturist novel, “Of One Blood.”
Deportes /Sports
El Sol Latino August 2021
Springfield OTSL All-Star Game 2021
Van Sickle Field- Springfield - Julio 10, 2021
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Deportes / Sports
El Sol Latino August 2021
Springfield OTSL All-Star Game 2021
Van Sickle Field- Springfield - Julio 10, 2021
Equipo Ganador (Team A), compuesto de jugadores de los equipos de Hartford Old Timers, Tira y Tápate, Cubs, Royals y Los Bambinos
Lanzamiento de la primera bola, Indhira Peña de Souza y el receptor Alex Román
Premios a los Jugadores Más Valiosos. De izquierda a derecha - José Santos (Vice Presidente Springfield OTSL), Luis Claudio (Mejor Lanzador), Roberto Fontáanez (Presidente Springfield OTSL), Víctor Luis Velázquez, Pepe Montalbán (Jugador Más Valioso - MVP), Carlos Laboy (Dirigente de los Hartford Old Timers) y Lou Ramos (Coach de los Hartford Old Timers)