Hunter College President Ann Kirschner helped kick off the National Puerto Rican Day Parade at a press conference at Roosevelt House May 21.
Reporters heard from National Puerto Rican Day Parade board and chair Lillian Rodriguez Lopez and board member Louis Maldonado, as well as the media and officials from CENTRO, Hunter’s Center for Puerto Rican Studies, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
“Everyone loves a parade, but everyone in New York City especially loves this parade,” President Kirschner said, adding, “It’s an iconic New York City institution that speaks to the Puerto Rican community’s contributions and achievements — in art, dance, music, and poetry, but also to scholarship and governance, here in the city and around the world.”
CENTRO Director Dr. Yomaira Figueroa Vasquez, also spoke.
The 2024 Grand Marshal of the June 9 parade will be acclaimed salsa singer Tito Nieves. The “godmother” is Manhattan’s own Lisa Vélez, aka popstar Lisa Lisa from Cult Jam of the hits Head to Toe and Can you Feel the Beat. The “godfather” is actor Ramón Rodríguez, the title character and is a co-executive producer on the ABC drama series Will Trent.
