WE ARE YOU PROJECT
LECTURE AND PANEL DISCUSSION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, AT 3:30 P.M.
A Lecture and Discussion on Social Justice and Immigration
at the Human Rights Institute Gallery
The Lecture and Panel Discussion is part of a series of free campus events highlighting the issues of social justice and immigration, and centered around the We Are You Project exhibition.
Guest Speaker
Ana Avendaño is vice president for labor participation at United Way Worldwide, where she oversees the historic partnership between the AFL-CIO (The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) and United Way. Previously, Avendaño served as assistant to the president and director of immigration and community action for the AFL-CIO. She also served as an associate general counsel at the AFL-CIO. Before joining the AFL-CIO, Ms. Avendaño served as assistant general counsel to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
Panelist
Frank Argote-Freyre is a professor of Latin American history at Kean University. He has authored dozens of scholarly articles and public policy papers on a wide variety of topics including mental health, housing and public education, as well as two books: Fulgencio Batista: From Revolutionary to Strongman (2006) and A Brief History of the Caribbean (2008), co-authored with Danilo Figueredo. Committed to defending immigrant rights and social justice, Argote-Freyre is president of the Latino Action Network, director of the Latino Coalition, and serves on the board of directors for the Fair Share Housing Center. He previously served as chair of the New Jersey Commission on New Americans.
Panelist
Rev. Joshua Rodriguez is the lead pastor at the Cityline Church, a bilingual ministry representing more than 50 ethnic groups. Pastor Rodriguez founded a private Christian grammar school, and developed a church in Gibraltar, Europe. His ministry philosophy entails empowering people through the restoration of God-given identity, so that they may positively impact society. He is a vice president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, an advocacy group that focuses on improving the quality of life of all people by addressing key national and global issues such as poverty, immigration, and education.
Panelist
Mario E. Tapia is president, CEO and founder of the Latino Center on Aging. He has worked for more than 30 years in the planning and delivery of services to older Americans, particularly underserved minorities, at the federal, state and local levels. Tapia was nominated by the New York State Office for the Aging and the New Jersey Division on Aging as a member of their respective state committees in preparation for the 1981, 1995 and 2005 White House Conference on Aging. He is also the co-founder of the We Are You Project, an exhibition of immigration and social justice currently on display at the Human Rights Institute gallery at Kean University.
The We Are You Project, which will remain on display through January 2016, combines visual art, poetry, music, performance art and film to explore the lived experiences of Latinos within and beyond the United States. Featured artists uniquely depict current social, cultural, political and economic conditions to increase awareness and inspire action to improve the human experience.
HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE GALLERY HOURS:
Monday — Thursday: 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. — 4 p.m.
VISUAL ARTISTS:
José Acosta • Efren Ave • Nelson Álvarez ‘08 • Ray Arcadio • Willie Báez • Josephine Barreiro • Hugo X. Bastidas • Monica S. Camin • Priscila De Carvalho • Jacqui Casale • Gerardo Castro • Pablo Caviedes • Carlos Chavez • Williams Coronado • Olga Cruz • Maritza Davila • Ricardo Fonseca • Roberto Márquez • Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo • Hugo Morales • Lisette Morel • Gabriel Navar • Raphael Montañez Ortíz • Jimmy Peña • Joe Peña • Duda Penteado • Alvin E. Quiñones • Mel Ramos • Rolando Reyna • Ana Laura Rivera • José Rodeiro • Marta Sánchez • Patricio Moreno Toro • Sergio Villamizar • Raúl Villarreal
