YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Holding Free Community Fora on African Presence in Mexico - Oct 16th!

From LULAC Cincinnati:

YMCA of Greater Cincinnati holding free community forum on African presence in Mexico

Cincinnati, OH. (October 4, 2012) – The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Black and Latino Achievers Program will launch a program this month designed to highlight the dynamic cultural connection between Mexicans and African-Americans.

The program includes:
 

• An exhibit, The African Presence in Mexico, at Cincinnati State’s Johnnie Mae Berry Library. The free exhibit will be open during regular business hours, Oct. 9 through Dec. 5.
   
• A two-part community forum at Cincinnati State on Tuesday, Oct. 16 hosted by Cesáreo Moreno, visual arts director/chief curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. The first forum, for teens, will run from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m., followed by a reception at 6:30 p.m.  A second community forum, (for adults), will be held from 7:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend the forums, but, because there is a limited amount of space, seats must be reserved by Oct. 12, 2012.  Call (513) 362-2008 to reserve your seat today.

“This exhibit provides African Americans and Mexican Americans with an exciting opportunity to embrace their cultural past,” said Sandy Walker, President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.  “It affords an opportunity to connect the dots to see how much we have in common,” added Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Black and Latino Achievers Program Toni Miles.

“I want people to walk away from this exhibit re-energized and recognizing the true power we have in unity,” said Miles.  “I am hopeful that we can forget who is black, who is white, and who is Latino, and work cooperatively to do what is important for our community and our country.”

The YMCA is sponsoring the exhibit and community forum in cooperation with US Bank, Environmental Safety Solutions, Cincinnati State, ELL Foundation, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati, Hideo Core, NKU Latino Affairs, Fifth Third Bank, and the National Museum of Mexico.

Cincinnati State President O’dell Moreno Owens – who is himself, an African American with Mexican ancestry (his grandfather was from Mexico) – said the exhibit and the community forum are natural tie-ins to the outreach that the college has been making to the region’s Hispanic community.  “The marketplace today is global, and employers know that better than anyone,” Dr. Owens remarked. “Part of what it means to be educated today is to understand people who may not look like you. Programs like this are one way to get at that.”

For more information about the exhibit, The African Presence in Mexico, visit the website www.MyY.org and click on Black and Latino Achievers.