YSU honors 'Latin@ moving the Valley forward' for Hispanic Heritage Month

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Youngstown State University is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of events from Thursday, Sept. 16. to Saturday, Nov. 6 with the theme of "¡Adelante! Celebrating the Latin@ Who Are Moving the Valley Forward."
The celebration is courtesy of the Youngstown State University Hispanic Heritage Planning Committee with the support of YSU's Academic Division, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Department of Student Experience.
An opening ceremony will take place Thursday, Sept. 16 at the Mahoning County Courthouse from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. The ceremony will feature a flag ceremony representing 22 Hispanic countries, as well as a musical performance and a keynote from YSU alumna and industrial engineer at General Assembly Lordstown Motors, Mrs. Macarena Yañez Briceño. The event is sponsored by the YSU Hispanic Heritage Planning Committee and the YSU Office of Academic Affairs
Additionally every Wednesday, starting Sept. 15 and going through Oct. 6, The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County (PLYMC) (305, Wick Ave. in Youngstown) will be hosting Bilingual Storytime at 11:30 a.m. featuring books, songs, rhymes and other learning activities in both Spanish and English for children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers.
In addition, PLYMC will also be hosting Book Banter every Wednesday from Sept. 15 to Oct. 6 on their social media pages starting at 4:00 p.m. Book Banter is a pre-recorded program PLYMC has been hosting on their social media pages since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which two librarians sit down and discuss and review a different book each week. Titles featured at the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration events are as follows:
-Sept. 15 - "We Were Here" by Matt de la Peña
-Sept. 22 - "The Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea & Tomorrow" by Laura Taylor Namey
-Sept. 29 - "White Fox" by Sara Flaring
-Oct. 6 - "We Set the Dark on Fire" by Tahlor Kay Mejia
Starting Sept. 17 and going through Sept. 25, on Fridays and Saturdays, the Ward Beecher Planetarium will be hosting "Mayan Archaeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe." A show describing the way Mayans viewed and understood the universe including a tour of six Mayan temples and the orientation of the temples in relation to the movements of the sun, moon and Venus. The event is free and open to the public.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3, the LatinUs Theater Company will be presenting "The House of Bernarda Alba" at the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression (2937, W. State St. in Cleveland). Information and tickets can be found here.
The Butler Institute of American Art (524, Wick Ave. in Youngstown) will be hosting "Pablo Picasso: A Primitive Soul Movie and Discussion" in the Zona Auditorium on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 12:00 p.m. The event will feature a video biography of artist, Pablo Picasso followed by a brief discussion with Butler Director, Lou Zona and Education Director, Joyce Mistovich. The event is free and open to the public.
The 11th-annual Non-Violence Parade & Rally will take place on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 3:00 p.m. The parade will start on West Wood Street and Wick Avenue and will proceed to the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre at Ween Park. The parade is open to all non-profit organizations and the deadline for registration is Wednesday, Sept. 15.
The Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor (121, W. Wood St.) will be hosting "El Último Traje" movie and discussion on Monday, Oct. 11 at 6:00 p.m. presented by Stephanie Pridgeon, assistant professor of Hispanic Studies at Bates College. This event is part of the Youngstown Area Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at YSU. The event is free and open to the public.
On Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 5:00 p.m. nationally-known multicultural speaker, poet and storyteller, Bobby González will be presenting "Why Latinos are Not Spanish - The Cultural and Racial Diversity of Hispanics" in the Ohio Room at YSU's Kilcawley Center. The event is sponsored by the YSU Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as well as the YSU Hispanic Heritage Planning Committee. The event is free and open to the public.
On Saturday, Oct. 16 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Hispanic Heritage Celebration will take place in the Chestnut Room at YSU's Kilcawley Center. The event will feature music entertainment, dance performances, cultural displays, vendors, resource tables, children's activities, dancing and light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public, but parking will cost $5. Guests can either park in the Wick Ave. or Fifth Ave. parking decks.
On Friday, Oct. 29 at 6:00 p.m. the OCCHA 49th Annual Fundraiser Gala will be taking place at the Maronite Center (1555, S. Meridian Rd. in Youngstown). The Organización Cívica y Cultural Hispana Americana Inc. is celebrating 49 years of service with an adults-only fundraiser. Cocktail hour is 6:00 p.m. dinner is at 7:00 p.m. and entertainment is at 8:00 p.m. Auctions, drawning and a cash bar will also take place.
OCCHA will also be hosting another event on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at OCCHA Social Hall (3660, Shirley Rd. in Youngstown) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event will be a Día De los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. The Day of the Dead is a traditional celebration to remember the departed and share memories of loved ones. The event will include an altar offering where guests bring photos, favorite food or other things their departed loved ones enjoyed. Traditional hot chocolate and Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead) will be served. The event is free and open to the public.
On Saturday, Nov. 6, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. the LAMA Boots, Bikes & Big Wheels Fundraiser Dinner will be held at the OCCHA Banquet Hall (3660, Shirley Rd. in Youngstown). The event is sponsored by the Latin American Motorcycle Association Chapter to benefit OCCHA scholarships.
Masks and COVID-19 safety procedures will be enforced at all events..