The University of Central Arkansas will conclude its Mexican Bi-centennial and Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations with a performance by Al “Papa Rap” Lopez.
Lopez will perform Oct. 5 at 1:40 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.
Lopez, who works for the Springdale School District as the school/community liaison, uses music to foster an appreciation of Latino and other cultures and to help people find common ground. His lyrics focus on the importance of open communication and education and touches people of all ages.
Lopez’s goal in life is to enlighten and help North Americans develop a deeper understanding of Latino and other cultures moving into the USA and at the same time help newcomers understand the new culture surrounding them.
He has produced and written lyrics for proximally 30 bilingual public service announcements for radio and television including one for the Census 2010 campaign. He has won four music composition awards with the John Lennon Song Writing Contest including first place in the 1998 Children’s Category, for the “What’s Up, Que Pasa” bilingual song about friendship.
The Office of Minority Student Services has celebrated the various cultures represented by the UCA’s minority populations for the last three years.
“We implemented the Celebration of Culture Series to promote issues of diversity among different ethnicities by building communication and an understanding of different cultural backgrounds,” said Angela Jackson, interim director of Minority Student Services. “These programs bring an awareness of history through education and performances as well as an appreciation of different ethnic backgrounds.”
The University of Central Arkansas hosted several events commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Mexican Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. The events are part of Arkansas Celebrates Mexico 2010, a partnership between the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, the city of Little Rock, the city of North Little Rock, the William J. Clinton Foundation, University of Arkansas at Little Rock and UCA to provide educational and cultural events recognizing the richness of Mexico’s history.
About Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. It is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson. President Ronald Reagan expanded the observance in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. (Source: http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/)
