Legacy of recently pardoned Puerto Rican Nationalist discussed at UIC

Melissa Mark Viverito, Speaker of the New York City Council with Puerto Rican Nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera.

A New York City Council member will be at the University of Illinois at Chicago as part of a program to discuss the living legacy of the recently pardoned Puerto Rican Nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera who was from Chicago.

WHEN:

Jan. 27
9 a.m.

WHERE:

Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center
Lecture Center B-2
803 S. Morgan St.

DETAILS:

Melissa Mark Viverito, Speaker of the New York City Council and Clarissa Lopez Ramos, daughter of Oscar Lopez Rivera, are the featured campus guests.

The Latin American and Latino Studies Program, the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, and the Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center are sponsoring the visit to UIC that will begin with a visit to a class, “Introduction to Puerto Rican Studies” taught by Lopez Rivera’s brother Jose Lopez.

After the class, the group will visit the Latin American and Latino Studies Program in University Hall, 601 S. Morgan St., followed by a visit to the Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services Program in the Student Services Building, 1200 W. Harrison St., Suite 2640.

The group will travel to Humboldt Park’s Paseo Boricua where they will visit programs, agencies and institutions that are part of Lopez Rivera’s legacy of community building. Lopez Rivera was convicted decades ago of supporting a militant group and was serving a 70-year prison sentence. Outgoing President Barack Obama pardoned Lopez Rivera in one of his last presidential acts. The event is not open to the public.