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Evelina Antonetty's Centennial Celebration at CENTRO
Free Admission
Join CENTRO, Hunter College, Hostos Community College, and the Evelina Centennial Committee on September 15th, 2022 at 3 PM EST at the Silberman School of Social Work to celebrate the life, legacy, and immensely impactful work done by The Hell Lady of the Bronx, Evelina Antonetty.
Learn about the beautiful and powerful activist work done by Evelina during a panel presentation introduced by CENTRO Directora, Dr. Yarimar Bonilla, and hosted by the Mistress of Ceremonies Malin Falu. Panelists include 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 moderators, with a special reading of an essay by Dr. Lana Dee Povitz. Following the panel will be the Images of Evelina exhibition featuring art reproductions from Maestro Antonio Martorell, Nitza Tufiño, and María Domínguez, among others, and a poetry reading by Maria Aponte. Also on display is The Hell Lady of the Bronx exhibition in the Library and Archives reading room consisting of archival documents and other primary resources from the CENTRO archives. This exhibition will provide further context for Evelina’s work and how she improved the lives of the youth in the South Bronx through food activism and advocating for improved education.
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. Evelina loved her community, and her work meant a difference to 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. She understood that her community in the South Bronx, and the Puerto Ricans living in it, were being destroyed and forgotten. 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 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 a full lineup of events, please visit the Evelina Centennial website.
