Press Release
History Colorado Lecture Series, The Chicano Movement Yesterday and Today Explores How El Movimiento Shaped Identity
Denver - The Chicano movement, or El Movimiento, paralleled the social movements of the 1960’s, which awakened awareness among millions of Americans. Like Black Power, the Women’s Movement, and the anti-war movement, Colorado’s El Movimiento improved lives in ways that are still experienced today. This will be explored on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., when History Colorado’s FWD (Forward) lecture series will focus on “The Chicano Movement Yesterday and Today.” The program will take place at the History Colorado Center at 1200 Broadway.
The event is part of El Movimiento: The Chicano Movement in Colorado. Created by museum staff along with community advisers from across Colorado, the exhibit opened on Feb. 7, along with the traveling exhibit, 1968. El Movimiento will be exhibited at the Colorado History Center through October 25.
The panel will be moderated by Ramon Del Castillo, Chair of the Chicana/o Studies Department at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has been recognized not only in education but also as a researcher, journalist, author and poet. He is a past columnist of the Rocky Mountain News and present-day columnist for El Seminario.
Panelists include:
Tony Garcia, Executive Artistic Director of El Centro Su Teatro since 1989. He is an Affiliate Faculty member at the Metropolitan State University of Denver in the Chicana/Chicano Studies Department and was named the Denver Post 2010 Theatre Person of the Year.
Al Gurule, a nine-year member of Pueblo City Council and its president in 2001. He was a political activist in the late 1960s and 1970s, and ran as La Raza Unida Party candidate for governor of Colorado.
Shirley Romero, a native of San Luis, Colorado, and a descendant of the state’s original Mexicano settlers. She is a longstanding Chicana activist and co-founder of the Land Rights Council in Chama, Colorado.
Nita Gonzales, M. Ed., president and CEO of Escuela Tlateloco, a national model for Chicano/Mexicano, and Indigenous education. A Denver native, the eldest daughter of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and Geraldine Gonzales, she has been widely recognized for her work as a community builder and visionary.
Ricardo Rocha, a student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, is an activist for the betterment of his community. He is a member of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Advisory Council of Colorado.
Admission to the FWD panel discussion is $4 for members and students, $5 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased online at www.HistoryColorado.org , by calling 303-866-2394, or at the door.
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History Colorado's mission is to inspire generations to find wonder and meaning in our past and to engage in creating a better Colorado. We serve as the state's memory, preserving the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through our museums, educational programs, historic preservation grants, research library, collections, and outreach to Colorado communities. Find History Colorado on all major social media platforms. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call (303) HISTORY for more information.