NEWBERRY — Newberry College is partnering with a host of organizations in the Newberry community to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. The commemoration is marked annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated.
“Newberry College is proud to be celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month to highlight the richness of the Hispanic cultures and their contributions to our campus and community,” said Dr. Altheia Richardson, vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging. “We have a wonderful team of students, staff, faculty and community members who have played a role in planning the lineup of activities and we look forward to welcoming our neighbors to campus for the community events.”
The events will include:
- On Sept. 18 and Oct. 16, Hispanic Heritage Month Table Talks will feature members of the local Hispanic community. The lunchtime talks will be held in Kaufmann Dining Hall, noon to 1 p.m. Guests eat for $8.75.
- On Sept. 23, the college will host an inaugural Hispanic Heritage Community Festival, including salsa dancing, a mariachi band, arts and crafts, food trucks, and Aztec dancers. The festival will be on the campus quad from 6-9 p.m.
- Sept. 28 will be Hispanic Heritage Day at Newberry College’s home football game against the University of Virginia at Wise. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Setzler Field. Tickets can be purchased in advance at newberrywolves.com.
- On Oct. 14, there will be a moonlight movie night featuring Disney’s “Coco,” beginning at 8 p.m. on the campus quad.
Throughout the month, Wessels Library will host a Hispanic Heritage Month display, along with a special display for the Day of the Dead from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
The monthlong celebration’s sponsors include Newberry College’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Muller Center for Multicultural & Civic Engagement, Office of Student Life, Newberry College Athletics, Wessels Library, Division of Teacher Education, and Office of First-Year Experience.
Community partners include Metz Culinary Management, the City of Newberry, the Newberry Arts Center, the Clinton Newberry Natural Gas Authority, Keep Newberry County Beautiful, Clark Enoree Sand, Liz Rivera, Rubi Flores, Waldo Tapia, The Palms, The Gallery, Martin Street Parlor, and Robert Matheson.
National Hispanic Heritage Month has celebrated the contributions of Hispanic Americans, including people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America, according to HispanicHeritageMonth.gov. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson, and it was expanded in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan to cover a 30-day period. Spanning the months of September and October, the observation includes the independence days of seven Latin American countries.
For more information about the college’s festivities, please contact Richardson at Altheia.Richardson@newberry.edu or Carlton Kinard, associate director for multicultural & civic engagement, at Carlton.Kinard@newberry.edu.