Events for Native American Heritage Month And Diversity Week Include Lecture by Multicultural Motivational Speaker

Posted by: admin on November 8, 2012, No Comments

The East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU) Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Residence Life Diversity Committee will celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November and Diversity Week from November 11-16 on the ESU campus.

During Diversity Week, nationally known multicultural motivational speaker, storyteller and poet Bobby González will present a lecture titled “The Tapestry of American History Through Native Eyes: An Alternative Perspective,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 12 in Lower Dansbury Commons.  According to his website, www.bobbygonzalez.com, González was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City, in a bicultural environment and draws on his Native American (Taino) and Latino (Puerto Rican) roots to offer discourses, readings and performances that celebrate his indigenous heritage.

The title of his latest poetry book is “The Last Puerto Rican Indian: A Collection of Dangerous Poetry.”  These verses reflect upon five centuries of dramatic upheavals and heroic triumphs of native peoples from North, Central and South America and theCaribbean.  González seeks to empower his audiences by encouraging them to embrace their heritage and use this knowledge to create a dynamic future.  The event is free and open to the public.

Also during Diversity Month, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) will hold a silent auction of Native American cornhusk dolls.  The silent auction will run from November 1-23 and the dolls will be on display in Kemp Library and Stroud Hall until November 30.  In addition, the dolls will be displayed during the Bobby González event. The dolls also can be viewed at www.esu.edu/oma on the resource page.  To place a bid, send an email to oma@esu.edu with your name and the number of the doll you are bidding on, and the amount of the bid.

The auction will wrap up during the last week of November when the silent auction winners will be announced.  The auction will benefit multicultural organizations, and some of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.

For more information about Native American Heritage Month and Diversity Week, contact Cornelia Sewell-Allen, coordinator of the ESU Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 570-422-3896 or by email at csewell@esu.edu.