Hispanic Latino Heritage Month to be celebrated
Felipe Luciano, the first Puerto Rican to serve as a television network news anchor in the United States, will be the keynote speaker for Hispanic Latino Heritage Month at Virginia Tech on Friday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in 1100 Torgersen Hall.
Luciano made media history when he became a news anchor for the NBC television network's New York affiliate, WNBC-TV. He later hosted Fox TV's New York roundtable, "Street Talk." The New York native also was a daily radio host on WLIB and he has won two Emmy Awards, an ACE Award for work on cable television, and a Silurian Award.
Luciano, a founder and chairman of the Young Lords Party, which called for self-determination for all Latino peoples, equal rights for women, and community control of cultural institutions, is a significant figure in the politics and culture of both New York City and Puerto Rico. He has served as a member of the New York City Mayor's Task Force on Police and Community Relations, the Urban League Street Academy, and the New Alternative Movement.
Luciano was one of the members of the cast of "The Original Last Poets," a 1971 music video that highlighted rap, politics, race relations, and musical exploration. The video featured Luciano and the other members of the group, The Original Last Poets, who were dubbed the rappers of the Civil Rights era. He also appeared with Ruben Blades, Tito Puente, and Celia Cruz in the 1988 documentary "Salsa: Latin Pop Music in the Cities."
Other Hispanic Latino Heritage Month events include the Organization for Hispanic Leadership's Third Annual Conference at Virginia Tech Oct. 8-Oct. 9; lunch with the Hispanic Caucus to showcase the research and experience of Hispanic faculty on Oct. 14 at noon in the Multicultural Center (Squires Student Center); a film series; and a panel discussion on "Colonization in America" on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Black Cultural Center, 126 Squires Student Center.
For more information on these and other events, consult the Hispanic Latino Heritage Month website at http://www.mcp.vt.edu/calendars/hhm04.shtml or contact Takiyah Nur Amin at (540) 232-6023 or tamin@vt.edu.
