Actress and celebrated activist Rosario Dawson will headline the Latino Cultural Dinner at Illinois State University at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Bone Student Center.
In honor of Dawson’s heritage, the event will explore the music, cuisine and history of Puerto Rico. At the event, Dawson is to be interviewed by Shine on Sierra Leone Founder and UN Woman of the World Tiffany Persons.
Tickets will be available Wednesday, Oct. 23. Ticket sales will be open until Wednesday, Oct. 30, or until they are sold out. Visit Housing.IllinoisState.edu to purchase tickets.
Ticket prices will be $18.93 for the public, $15 for Illinois State students, faculty and staff, or one swipe for those students with a meal plan.
The evening’s sponsors are Illinois State’s University Housing Services, Campus Dining Services, MECCPAC (a Dean of Students diversity initiative), Association of Residence Halls, Hewett-Manchester Student Association, East Campus Diversity Coalition and the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program. Arrangements for Dawson’s appearance were made through the Guild Agency Speakers Bureau.
Performing in the acting business for nearly 20 years, Dawson has garnered praise for her numerous leading roles in films such as Rent, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Sin City, Eagle Eye and more. She was last seen in the Danny Boyle thriller Trance and is slated to work on a biopic about civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.
Over the course of her career, Dawson has repeatedly demonstrated she is multi-dimensional and has numerous interests. Besides acting, she is also a writer, singer and – perhaps more importantly – she firmly believes in being engaged in social issues and making a difference in her community. She works with a range of influential organizations, including Votó Latino, V-Day, Operation USA, the Aspen Institute Task Force on Learning and the Internet, the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan, Shine on Sierra Leone, and Global Green.
Honored for her engagement efforts, Dawson was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her contributions to the community and the Latino Spirit Award for her contributions to the Latino community. She was also named to Fast Company’s list of “The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2012.” Dawson was recently honored as the recipient of the “Outstanding Commitment To Cause And Community” Award at the 2013 ALMA Awards.
If you need special accommodations to fully participate in this event, please contact University Housing Services at (309) 438-8611. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodations.
