By Gabriela Flores
In an evening filled with harmonic music, riveting poetic performance, and food, Brooklyn College closed out National Hispanic Heritage Month last Thursday, Oct. 13 by embracing the community’s diverse arts and culture. Participants tuned into the sounds of Latin America in the lobby of the Tow Center, celebrating the college’s Hispanic and Latinx leaders who’ve made the visibility of Latinx people and concerns on campus possible.
“I just want to remind you that we have to live this Latinidad, this pride of our heritage,” said Jesús Pérez, the director of the Immigrant Student Success Office, at the event. “We must live it on a daily basis. We must show the world that we’re proud of our roots.”
Hosted by ISSO and the Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership Center, the musical night began with opening remarks from its organizers. Last Thursday marked the celebration’s in-person return after being held on Zoom during the thick of COVID-19.
“The past two years have been extremely difficult for all of us – especially our students. It’s important that we as staff, as faculty, as members of the Brooklyn College community show up for them and rebuild a vibrant sense of community that they could be proud of,” said Moraima Smith, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. “Our students are showing up for us, and I know we’re ready to show up for them.” Smith, Perez, and Renée Straker from the SAIL Center were the main organizers of the event.
Kicking off the night’s creativity was Mexican-American pianist Cesar Reyes, who opened with a melancholic piece. As the audience listened to Reyes’ performance, they drew closer to the tone of each key. Once his number ended, an alum of the Conservatory of Music, Michael Zheng, performed a piece by a Spanish composer that used rapid octaves. Zheng’s work breathed new life into the evening, taking listeners through an earful of highs and lows that succinctly made a playful, peaceful composition. Following the piano pieces was a guitar solo by Noel Cahill, a Conservatory of Music student, who played short segments of Leo Brouwer’s collection “20 Simple Studies.”
“He’s written some really beautiful guitar music,” Cahill said. “He’s a genius, very nice musician.” While playing Cuban-born Brouwer’s classical music, Cahill created an intimacy between themself, their guitar, and listeners. As they strung the guitar’s strings, the audience could hear the intention behind each sound that collectively brought a peaceful, rhythmic ambience to the event.
Once the first round of musical selections ended, student leaders of the Puerto Rican Alliance, Dominican Student Movement (MEDo), and Mexican Heritage Student Association, were invited to the stage. There, they spoke about the importance of their spaces, taking pride in their roots, and the community they’ve built in the West End Building, where different student clubs are housed.
“Overall it’s such a great feeling to be here and see how we all come together for such a meaningful month; not just for myself, but for every Latino on campus,” said Lamec Fabian, the president of MEDo. Throughout this past month, the three organizations hosted several events such as their Bachata and Merengue Night that celebrated Latinx culture.
For Perez, whose time at Brooklyn College began when he was a student over 20 years ago, the night’s embrace of Latinidad was one rooted in a history of communal togetherness.
“This familia latina really has deep, deep, deep roots. And I want to make sure that every year, when we celebrate Hispanic heritage that we acknowledge someone in that community – that we continue acknowledging the forces and people that make a difference in our lives and make this campus better,” said Perez.
Though the evening highlighted Latinx culture and arts, it also paid respects to Dr. Milga Morales Nadal, a BC legend in her own right. Morales Nadal co-founded the Puerto Rican Alliance as an undergraduate, paved the way for her fellow Latinxs to feel represented on campus and in academic curricula, and led several offices and departments during her 45-year run at BC. Her research revolved around the education of children of color, with a focus on the learning of children and adults who have English as their second language. After her retirement from Brooklyn College, she helped form The Alliance of Puerto Rican Education and Empowerment, an alumni group that actively works to address local Puerto Rican and Latinx issues.
“She credits her interests and commitment to issues related to language, culture, identity, community, organizing, and social justice to her upbringing,” said Smith, who is mentored by Morales Nadal. “As the daughter of Puerto Rican parents, who after migrating in the 1940s from her hometown of Guayanilla [Puerto Rico], became actively engaged in the civic life of the larger community.”
Reflecting on the space’s visibility to those walking around campus and the significance of the night that allowed her fellow Latinxs to be showcased, Morales Nadal mentioned the importance of giving back. Through much of her own efforts, she channels the teachings and habits of her father, who was sure to never let a guest who visited his home leave empty handed. She also recalled three decades ago, when she was appointed Dean of Student Affairs, her father came to speak in her appointment.
“It was my dad who taught us gift giving the most,” Moral Nadal said, later addressing students. “[…] Recognize the people that are working with you, and don’t let them go because those are your mentors – those are the people who are going to help you, but then you’re going to come back and do the same thing for them.”
As the night came to a close, poet and BC alumna Monique Ngozi Nri recited “Place I’ve Never Been” by Louis Reyes Rivera with trumpet accompaniment from her husband. The duo gave a riveting read of the poem dedicated to Malcolm X, bringing a personification and life to the words that Rivera wrote. Later on, Reyes, whose musical accolades precede him, gave the audience a closing performance that combined Puerto Rican, Ecuadorian, Venezuelan and Mexican compositions.