Latinx Connect Conference Directory
Visit the Latinx Connect conference directory to review the conference schedule and register for any of the 60+ programs taking place from Thursday, October 14 to Saturday, October 16 (all programs listed in EST) and the pre-conference engagement guide.
Conference Overview
The Latinx Connect conference (October 14-16) aims to move us beyond “celebrating” Latinxs, instead calling for empowerment and justice for the Latinx community, which faces numerous disparities in U.S. society, particularly those at the intersections of Latinx identity (e.g., Afro-Latinxs, Indigenous Latinxs, queer and Trans* Latinxs, undocumented Latinxs).
As the largest pan-ethnic group in the United States, Latinxs are extremely diverse by race, language, immigration, and experiences along the diaspora, which creates opportunity for dialogue. The Latinx Connect conference will provide a virtual space to learn with each other.
The 3-day virtual conference, free and open to all, will bring together students, educators, community leaders, political advocates, and others to dialogue about Latinx identities, cultures, and contemporary issues. Participants will discuss what it means to be Latinx/a/o/e/Hispanic in relation to intersectional identities, education, immigration, public health, arts & culture, history, and other topical areas.
The conference will also serve as a culminating experience for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized annually from September 15 - October 15 to acknowledge the history, culture, and contributions of Americans who identify as Hispanic/Latinx.
Latinx Connect is organized and sponsored by a grassroots transdisciplinary and cross-institutional group of educators and community leaders based in Pittsburgh.
Forum Schedule
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14
9:00-10:15 a.m. EST Media as Activism & Advocacy within the Latinx Community
10:30-12:00 p.m. EST Concurrent Sessions
12:15-1:30 p.m. EST Performing Afrolatinidad: The Arts, Identity, and Social Justice
1:45-3:15 p.m. EST Concurrent Sessions
4:00-5:30 p.m. EST Policy & Advocacy Panel: Current LatinX Affairs in Pennsylvania
5:30-7:00 p.m. EST Live Music!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
9:00-10:15 a.m. EST Latinx Data: Historical Civil Rights Advocacy and Contemporary Intersectional Insights
10:30-12:00 p.m. EST Concurrent Sessions
12:15-1:30 p.m. EST Activism in Latin America: Cultivando Conocimiento Juntos
1:45-3:15 p.m. EST Concurrent Sessions
3:30-4:45 p.m. EST Advocacy at the Intersection of Latinx, Queer, & Trans Identities
5:00-6:30 p.m. EST MUSIC! Bossa-Nova, Songs and Stories with Brazilian songstress, Lilly Abreu
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16
10:30-12:00 p.m. EST Concurrent Sessions
12:15-1:30 p.m. EST Reflections, Meditation, and Joy
A Few of Our Featured Speakers
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Amalia Dache - An Afro-Cuban American scholar, Amalia Dache is the first tenured, female, Latinx professor in University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Her experiences as a Cuban refugee and student traversing U.S. educational systems—among them urban K–12 schools, community college, state college, and a private research-intensive university—inform her research and professional activities.
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Bamby Salcedo – A Mexican-American transgender activist and the founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLatin@ Coalition. Bamby is a highly regarded, nationally and internationally recognized activist, community organizer and social justice advocate whose story is featured in the 2014 documentary, Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo's Story
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Eduardo Chavez - An activist and director of the 2018 documentary, Hailing Cesar, which chronicles Chavez’s journey to understand the legacy and struggle of his grandfather, the legendary civil rights activist César Chávez. Chávez is also the grandson of Cuban revolutionary Max Lesnik.
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Gina Garcia - A leading scholar on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are colleges and universities that enroll at least 25% Latinx undergraduate students. She is the author of Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges & Universities (2019). Dr. Garcia is a professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education.
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Michael Rodriguez-Muñiz - An assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and the Latina and Latino Studies Program at Northwestern University. He is the author of Figures of the Future: Latino Civil Rights and the Politics of Demographic Change.
Questions can be directed to latinxconnect@pitt.edu
Latinx Artifact Showcase
In conjunction with the Latinx Connect Conference, the University of Pittsburgh’s Hispanic Latino Professional Association, Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the Center for Creativity present the Latinx Artifact Showcase.
All are invited to submit personally meaningful artifacts relevant to aspects of Hispanic/Latina/o/e/x racial, ethnic, and cultural identity, such as visual art, images, writing, music, and personal stories, for display in the Showcase gallery and Latinx Connect social media channels.
The submission deadline is October 15, 2021.