UP FRONT Short Takes
Cal State Bakersfield welcomes Latino authors Having not forgotten the spark of the urban Chicano movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the History Forum of CSUB welcomes guests Dr. Mario T. Garcia, professor of history and Chicano studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Sal Castro, American educator and activist. The pair will speak at the Dore Theatre on Sept. 30. The March 1968 event, when thousands of Chicano students walked out of their East Los Angeles high schools and middle schools to protest decades of inferior and discriminatory education in the so-called “Mexican schools” will be the topic of exploration for Garcia and Castro’s talk. During these historic walkouts, or “blowouts,” Castro, a courageous and charismatic MexicanAmerican teacher, led and encouraged
the students to make their grievances public after school administrators and school board members failed to listen to them. The resulting blowouts ignited the largest and most widespread civil rights protests by Mexican Americans in U.S. history. Their talk, “Blowout! Sal Castro & the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice,” will be based on their book of the same title. Russo’s Books is selling copies of “Blowout!” in its store and at the event. A book signing by Garcia and Castro will follow the discussion. “Mario T. Garcia is regarded by many as the foremost scholar of Chicano history in the nation, and Sal Castro’s significance in Mexican-American history, and in the broader history of United States, will make the presence of both men a historic moment for CSUB. As CSUB is considered a Hispanic-serving institution, we are especially pleased to host this event during National Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Alicia Rodriquez, associate professor. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the public is invited to join the CSUB community at 4 p.m. for this historic event. Admission is free and parking fees are suspended in Lots B, C and D during the talk. For more information, contact the CSUB history department at 654-2166. — Danae Jarrett
Jane’s Jewelers 9530 Hageman Road 661-587-6242 Layaways Welcome
Tueday through Friday 10:00am – 6:00pm, Sat 10:00am – 3:00pm • Closed Sunday & Monday
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Bakersfield Life
October 2011
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