The Legacy Project and ASPIRA of Illinois are proud to announce a special evening tribute to Dr. Antonia Pantoja, legendary Puerto Rican Educator and Social Justice Advocate whose bronze plaque will become part of THE LEGACY WALK's historic dedication on October 11, 2012.
Please join us June 1st, 6:30p — 9:30p, at the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture ( IPRAC ) for a special evening tribute highlighting Dr. Pantoja's amazing career and unrivaled contributions. The program will feature talks by Dr. Lourdes Torres of DePaul University, who nominated Dr. Pantoja for The Legacy Walk, and Mr. Ruben Feliciano, Chair of the 2nd Legislative Senate District LGBT Advisory Committee, who is also Secretary of the Board of Directors of ASPIRA Inc of Illinois.
The award-winning 2009 documentary "Antonia Pantoja Presente!" by filmmaker Lillian Jiménez will be shown, followed by a Q&A. An ors d' oeuvre buffet with complimentary wine and soft drinks will be served. The Legacy Walk's expansive display will include a full-size North Halsted "Rainbow Pylon" replica, a mock-up of Dr. Pantoja's plaque, and all of the plaques for The Legacy Walk's 2012 Hispanic candidates for induction.
The evening celebration, which will kick-off both Puerto Rican Independence Month and Gay Pride Month, is being co-sponsored by ALMA, Amigas Latinas, Unidos, La Casa Norte, Puerto Rican Agenda, VIDA/SIDA, and Primera Iglesia Congregacional de Chicago. Numerous political figures, activists, educators, and students from the many ASPIRA-affiliated schools in the Chicago Area are expected.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the Door. Student admission is $10.
"We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Chicago ASPIRA to create this wonderful celebration of Dr. Pantoja's amazing life," said Victor Salvo, Legacy Project Executive Director. "In spite of how renown Dr. Pantoja is among all Latinos, very few people know that she was lesbian — so in many ways her life is emblematic of why we conceived The Legacy Walk in the first place: to bring the reality of her contributions — and the sacrifices she had to make — fully into focus so that she might serve as an inspiration to GLBT youth who grow up without historically significant role models." Salvo particularly credits Dr. Lourdes Torres, who nominated Dr. Pantoja, for bringing her contributions to his attention. "Lourdes's explanation of all that Dr. Pantoja accomplished was an eye-opener. I am humbled and thrilled to have such a towering figure be part of The Legacy Project." Torres said "Dr. Antonio Pantoja, founder of ASPIRA and many other important civil rights organizations, was a fierce feminist and a tireless advocate for students. Her legacy lives on and she is an inspiration for Puerto Ricans and all Latinos."
Julio Rodriguez, president of the board of Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) , was asked to consult on the creation of the tribute. "In my life, there haven't been enough times when both the Latino and LGBTQ communities have come together to both be inspired and pay tribute to one of our heroes. Fortunately for Chicago's Latino and LGBTQ communities on June 1st we have that opportunity, thanks to the partnership that has been forged by The Legacy Project and ASPIRIA to honor Dr. Antonia Pantoja, a Lesbian, a Latina education pioneer, an activist, and the founder of one of the nation's premier Latino educational institutions, ASPIRA."
ASPIRA's Ruben Feliciano said "Much of my success today is owed to the vision and tenacity of Dr. Antonia Pantoja who boldly rose to the challenge of believing and investing in Puerto Rican & Latino youth. I am a proud product of ASPIRA, the organization that she founded in 1961. The success of thousands of young people whose lives have been transformed through ASPIRA embodies the sacrifice, tears, love and dedication poured by Dr. Pantoja, who ultimately believed that young people have the ability to transform the world around them if given the proper tools. As a board member of ASPIRA Inc. of Illinois, who is both Puerto Rican and gay, I am honored to continue serving an institution that invested in my development as a young person, an institution that has become an icon in the Puerto Rican community and was founded by a great Puerto Rican woman, who was also a lesbian. Her work and dedication for the community at large represents the great strides and progress made by countless Latino LGBTQ members. Today and tomorrow, we honor, celebrate and respect the contributions of a great lesbian and Puerto Rican woman who positively impacted the lives of thousands of people, the great Dr. Antonia Pantoja."
"With so many wonderful, passionate people and groups working in coalition to celebrate her life," said Salvo, "I have no doubt that Dr. Pantoja's special evening at IPRAC on June 1st is going to be a tremendous success. I hope everyone — whatever their background — will come to this event to learn about this utterly remarkable woman and why her induction to The Legacy Walk this fall is so central to our celebration of all that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have given to the world."
ANTONIA PANTOJA worked as a schoolteacher focusing on the educational needs of disadvantaged children. In 1953 she co-founded the Hispanic American Youth Association, which later became the Puerto Rican Association for Community Affairs ( PRACA ) . In 1957 she founded the National Puerto Rican Forum, an incubator for organizations and programs promoting economic self-sufficiency; and, in 1961, she founded ASPIRA, a non-profit organization that has provided counseling, financial aid and other assistance to approximately 50,000 Latino students. Pantoja worked with the Ford Foundation, the National Urban Coalition, the National Association of Social Workers and the Council on Social Work Education. As one of the most important Puerto Rican/Latina community leaders in the United States, she was presented with the Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1996. In her autobiography, Memoir of a Visionary: Antonia Pantoja ( 2002 ) , she revealed that she was a lesbian — sparking controversy within both the Puerto Rican and GLBT communities. Dr. Pantoja succumbed to cancer in 2002, survived by her partner of nearly 30 years, Dr. Wilhemina Perry.
ASPIRA of ILLINOIS During its nearly 50 years of serving youth and families, ASPIRA has helped thousands of disadvantaged students enter college; hundreds of parents understand the complex educational process; and numerous families strengthen their relationships. The programs are successful because staff delivers services through a comprehensive approach and addresses all family members' needs in collaboration with other social service agencies, health care providers, public schools, higher education institutions and government agencies. ASPIRA has been serving the needs of Latino and other economically disadvantaged youth and their families through educational, leadership and cultural development efforts to improve their quality of life. Since inception, over 60,000 families have been served through the organization's skilled and dedicated staff.
THE LEGACY WALK will transform the "Northalsted Streetscape" into a museum walk celebrating the many contributions Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ( GLBT ) people have made to world history and culture. A series of 18" x 24" bronze plaques will be affixed to the celebrated "Rainbow Pylons" that designate the half-mile stretch of North Halsted Street in Lake View as the nexus of the City's diverse GLBT population. Upon its dedication on October 11, 2012 — "National Coming-Out Day" — The Legacy Walk will be the only outdoor memorial of its kind in the world.
For more information visit www.legacyprojectchicago.org or call Victor Salvo at 312-608-1198.
The Legacy Project is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to creating public memorials recognizing the contributions of GLBT people to world history and culture, beginning with the dedication of The Legacy Walk on October 11, 2012.
