The Hell Lady of the Bronx - Evelina Antonetty's Centennial at CENTRO

2180 3rd Ave,New York NY 10035

15 September, 2022

Description

Join CENTRO, Hunter College, Hostos Community College, and the Evelina Centennial Committee on September 15th, 2022 at 3 PM EST to celebrate the life, legacy, and immensely impactful work done by The Hell Lady of the Bronx, Evelina Antonetty. This celebration focuses on Evelina’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Puerto Rican children of the South Bronx. Her work resulted in bilingual education accessible in the South Bronx through United Bronx Parents, food activism and free lunch programs in school, and empowering members of the community to get involved in their children’s education. She also mentored some of the same children she advocated for, many of which called her “Titi”. Learn more about the beautiful and powerful work done by Evelina during a panel presentation featuring Dr. Laura Kaplan, Dr. Nydia R. Edgecombe, Dr. Ana Celia Zentella, Hildamar Ortíz, Democracy Now! Journalist Juan González, and Dr. Víctor Vázquez-Hernández as a moderator, with a special reading of an essay by Dr. Lana Dee Povitz. We’ll also feature an art exhibition with works from Maestro Antonio Martorell, Nitza Tufiño, and María Domínguez, among others, and an exhibition of documents and other primary resources from the CENTRO archives at the Evelina Antonetty Reading Room. This exhibition includes correspondence between Evelina and former CENTRO Director, Frank Bonilla, artifacts from United Bronx Parents, as well as a short film showcasing Evelina’s work. Evelina loved her community, and her work meant the difference for many children and their families. It often resulted in steady meals in the Summer when school was no longer in session and better quality schools for these children. In her own words “We will never stop struggling here in the Bronx, even though they’ve destroyed it around us… We would rather pitch tents if we have to rather than move from here… They will never take us away from here.” The Evelina Centennial week-long event celebrates Evelina Antonetty’s work as a community activist and advocate for education. This weeklong celebration takes place across various CUNY institutions and community organizations like Hostos Community College and Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and engages the community with events like voter registration, tree plantings, and art and educational exhibitions. For more information on the panelists, and other events celebrating Evelina's life, click here!