University Housing Services is excited to announce musician, activist, and prolific voice Xiuhtezcatl Martinez as our special guest for the Latino and Sustainability Cultural Dinner on Tuesday, October 22, at 5 p.m. in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.
Illinois State University’s Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality will cater the dinner and feature a variety of Mexican fusion cuisines. Tickets for the dinner are available online for $25. Meal plan holders may use a meal swipe to make a reservation in exchange for one meal. Tickets will be available until October 14 or until they are sold out.
In 2013 Martinez was awarded the Community Service award by President Barack Obama and was invited to join his youth environmental council. He has delivered multiple keynote speeches to the General Assembly of the United Nations and has also shared the stage in panel discussions with a wide range of cultural icons, including Pharrell, Shailene Woodley, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
As a way of preserving his Indigenous culture and language, Martinez pursued music anchored by his Xochimilcan and Mexican roots. He has brought his sound to hundreds of shows across the globe, such as Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States. He has made multiple appearances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, opening for Jaden and Willow on their joint tour, opening for Zion I and Bassnectar at the renowned Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, and playing music festivals such as Electric Forest, Lightning in a Bottle, Cali Roots, Arizona Roots, and Envision Festival in Costa Rica.
A prolific voice for his generation, Martinez has lectured and performed at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. He has been an invited spokesperson and performer at half a dozen United Nations events, and in 2019, he was named one of TIME 100 Next .
Building outside the boundaries of the music industry, he earned his first MTV EMA award, presented by J Balvin in Bilbao, Spain. His music has also been commercially licensed by Apple, Nike, Levi’s, and LG. Martinez continues to challenge systems of injustice through his work, as well as hosting podcasts and publishing books on the intersections of community organizing, art, and culture.
The Latino and Sustainability Cultural Dinner is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability; Office of the Provost; the Association of Residence Halls; Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality; Latin American and Latino/a Studies; Association of Latinx American Students, and the Organization of Latino Employees.
