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You Visit Tour. Webb Lion Fountain. June 1 2017. Photo David B. Hollingsworth

Keynote by Duke Race Relations Scholar Kicks Off Series of Events for Hispanic Heritage Month

An evening of celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 17, featuring a keynote address by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, professor and chair of the sociology department at Duke University, will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month at Old Dominion University.

Bonilla-Silva, a scholar on race relations in the United States who has written five books and countless journal articles, will deliver the keynote address at 6 p.m., "We the People? Race, Citizenship and Color Blindness in Post-Racial 'Obamerica.'"

Bonilla-Silva gained visibility in the social sciences with his 1997 American Sociological Review article, "Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation," where he challenged social scientists to look at racial matters differently. He appeared on the PBS election special "Race 2012."

The National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration and Constitution Day Commemoration runs from 6-9 p.m. in the Big Blue Room of ODU's Ted Constant Convocation Center. The evening also includes a celebration, beginning at 8 p.m., with music by DJ Mangu Selecta and dancing with the Mambo Room Salseras.

The event is free and open to the public. RSVP to http://bit.ly/HHMC2013 by Sept. 13.

The kickoff event is the first of several programs being held through September and early October to honor the thriving, growing Hispanic culture at ODU.

  • On Thursday, Sept. 19, Global Café will offer faculty, staff and students an opportunity to explore aspects of Latino/Hispanic culture. The event will be held in the Intercultural Center, 2114 Webb Center, at 12:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
  • On Wednesday, Sept. 25, "What's in a Name?" will see panelists explore the significance of an individual's sense of identity due to labels that are assigned across cultures, as well as names they embrace themselves. Sponsored by ODU's Office of Counseling Services, the event will run from 6-8 p.m. in Webb Center's Cape Charles/Isle of Wight Room.
  • On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Hispanos & Latinos Unidos Open House will be held in the Hampton/Newport News Room of Webb Center from 6-8 p.m. The event is an opportunity for student and family networking with the campus organization Hispanos & Latinos Unidos. RSVP to http://bit.ly/HLURSVP by Sept. 27.
  • On Thursday, Oct. 3, the documentary short film "The Dream is Now" will be screened in the River Rooms of Webb Center from 6-7:30 p.m., followed by an audience discussion. Directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim, the film focuses on the struggles of millions of undocumented young people in America, and the importance of permanent changes in the U.S. immigration system. The event is sponsored by Virginia Organizing.
  • Every Friday throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, a Latin Fridays Dance Party will take place at the Mambo Room (2200 Colonial Ave., Norfolk). Beginning with a basic salsa class at 8:30 p.m., the event will feature Latin dance and music, featuring merengue, salsa, cha-cha, bachata and other dances. The weekend events are $10 per person, or $8 with ODU ID.

For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month at ODU, or any programming by ODU's Office of Intercultural Relations, contact the office at 683-4406 or oir@odu.edu.

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