May. 5
3:00–4:30 pm
Web conference
Cinco de Mayo has become increasingly more popular in the U.S. while often disregarding the history of this celebration of Mexican resistance and culture. The date actually stems from a revolutionary moment after Mexico tried to suspend foreign debt. During the 1862 Battle of Puebla, a small grassroots group of Mexican soldiers claimed victory over the invading and heavily-armed French military of thousands. The holiday actually commemorates a developing nation's resistance to the lending practices of wealthier foreign countries. Today the holiday has been reduced into a date for partying and drinking, second only to St. Patrick’s Day as the biggest holiday for alcohol consumption in the U.S. Join us as feminist icon and legendary labor leader, Dolores Huerta, underscores the importance of reclaiming Cinco de Mayo.
SpeakOut is a mission-driven speakers bureau and education institute. Its mission is to encourage critical and imaginative thinking to address the major inequities of our day and transform a fractured world. The Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture (CSRPC) and the Center for Identity + Inclusion (CI+I) are offering a limited number of free tickets to this event for current UChicago students.