Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion hosts events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion hosts events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion hosts events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

During the past week, the Office of Educational Equity and Inclusion sponsored several events to promote cultural understanding in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month which occurs September 15 – October 15 every year. On October 13, Bilingual Bingo and a viewing of the movie “City of God” brought together students and staff to gain a richer appreciation of the social dynamics and political realities of other countries.

Artist Pavel Acevedo headlined the October installment of the Diversity and Inclusion Arts & Lecture Series which also featured the artistic talents of many Alcorn students. Throughout the day, Acevedo, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, demonstrated his unique skill of painting by candle, offering students the opportunity to participate. “His work really captured my attention, as I had never seen anything like it. I learned a lot about the Hispanic culture as well,” said Kaelon Walker, a graduate student from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

On Tuesday, Acevedo and Loriann Hernandez, assistant director of Educational Equity and Inclusion, offered a dynamic face painting experience in honor of Dia de los Muertas (Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration in which individuals remember their ancestors.

“The week was so exciting,” said Hernandez. “I loved being able to share meaningful elements of my culture with the campus community. It was wonderful to see the student interest increasing and their eagerness to learn new things.”

“It was fitting that the close of our first celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month coincided with the announcement of Alcorn being named again as a winner of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award – as we are constantly innovating and growing in our efforts to appreciate the importance of culture in creating understanding and community,” said Dr. Derek Greenfield, director of Educational Equity and Inclusion.