Michigan Culture Lives
is planned with Bay City scholar |
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"The importance and significance of highlighting the contributions of Hispanics only strengthens our community, " said Tri-City SER's Board Chair Scott Rodriguez.
"I really enjoy Bay City," commented Kerman, who is the La Cultura de Michigan Vive Humanities Scholar.
Each September 15, at exactly 11 o'clock p.m., the bells in every Mexican church peal in memory of the passionate struggle for the country's independence.
It was on this day in 1810 that the priest of the Mexican town of Dolores freed the prisoners held captive there by Spanish authorities. By ringing the bells of his church, he called his parishioners to band together and bring an end to Spanish rule over Mexico.
Today September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month in our nation. In 1988, the U.S. Congress made the period between this date and October 15 a time of national celebration of the positive influence of Hispanics in American agriculture, arts, cuisine, education, exploration, language, law, religion, music, mathematics, the sciences, technology, and theater.
With the help of local Humanities Scholar Judith Kerman, a Mid-Michigan based agency is planning a lecture at Saginaw Valley StateUniversity during this time of national festivity and retrospection.
Tri-City SER, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, probably best known for their workforce development projects with the Bay City and Pinconning Michigan Works! agencies, is actively expanding their program offerings this year to include more cultural enrichment activities.
The organization has served the Mid-Michigan area for thirty years through programming focused at encouraging job suitability, economic self-sufficiency, strong family bonds, and cultural pride.
This year they will celebrate Hispanic social and artistic contributions to the State of Michigan at a lecture and reception entitled La Cultura de Michigan Vive (Michigan Culture Lives).
"Hispanic Heritage month is not only a celebration of contributions Hispanic Americans but also an opportunity for many organizations in the Tri-City area to collaborate, exchange ideas and begin dialogue," said Scott Rodriguez, Tri-City SER Board Chair.
Kerman is creating a multimedia kiosk for the agency's first Hispanic Heritage Month event, which will consist of a lecture to be given by Michigan Latina artist Theresa Rosado.
Kerman's work is supported by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council. Another sponsorship from Wal-Mart is funding Rosado's participation in the event.
A Professor of English and Coordinator of the Communication andMultimedia Master's program at Saginaw Valley State University, Kerman is also an accomplished writer with ten published books and poems in numerous literary publications.
Her latest published works include a translation of the works of Cuban poet Dulce Maria Loynaz called A Woman in Her Garden and a bilingual collection of her own poetry titled Plane Surfaces/Plano de Incidencia.
The latter book was translated by Johnny Duran during Kerman's recent Fulbright Fellowship inthe Dominican Republic.
Her interest in Spanish-speaking countries and literature began in 1991, when she took an introductory Spanish course at SVSU and then traveled to Mexico for a week-long stay. Since that time, Kerman has traveled in Spanish-speaking countries extensively.
"I have tried to spend at least a week every yar, usually more, in a Spanish-speaking country. I have visited Spain, Costa Rica, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic," said Kerman.
She has taken additional classes at independent languages schools in Mexico and Costa Rica as well. In Mexico, she lived with a local family. "I think that is the best way to learn a language," she added.
Kerman is highly active in local arts and literary culture circles. She operates Mayapple Press, a small press specializing in fine literature and poetry, especially works by women and Great Lakes regional literature. She is also a member of the Bay Arts Cultural Plan's Marketing Taskforce.
This past summer she organized the Rustbelt Roethke Professional Writers' Conference, which took place at Saginaw Valley State University. The group took advantage of many of Bay City's summertime happenings, including a jaunt on the Appledore V.
Although originally from Long Island, New York, Kerman has called Bay City home for the last three years.
"I really enjoy Bay City," Kerman recently commented. "Especially the fact that it is a 'real place,' with a live downtown, and the sense that Bay City is on the move without abandoning its past."
Another Bay City organization, Uniting a Creative Culture, is also providing pre-event preparations for the Hispanic Heritage lecture, including graphic design services, marketing, and administrative support for the event.
The lecture, which is open to the public free-of-charge, will take place on October 9, 2003 at Saginaw Valley State University's new Regional Education Center in the Alan Ott Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
The event will feature a discussion of how African Americans and Latinos in the Midwest have influenced each other's pursuit of artistic expression and how connected these two burgeoning population groups are in their pursuit for civil rights in Michigan's workforce.
Latino artists, such as Diego Rivera, of the Works Progress Administration will be highlighted. Kerman's kiosk will feature images provided by Artes Unidas, a statewide organization based in Lansing that is dedicated to advancing Latino arts and culture in Michigan and a sound track of music from a local Latino musical group.
"The Board of Directors for Tri-City SER are very pleased and honored at the opportunity to utilize the talents and artistic vision of Dr. Kerman," commented Rodriguez, "At a time when the contributions of all Hispanics are celebrated, Dr. Kerman's ability to bring the Hispanic world to everyone (SVSU, Bay City, Saginaw) is a very unique and refreshing exercise in the Humanities."
More information on the event can be found at Tri-City SER's website.
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O. J. Cunningham |
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