Note to reporters: To arrange an interview with Mario GarcÃa, contact the CSULA Public Affairs office in advance at 323-343-3050.
‘Blowout’ author to discuss Chicano crusade for educational justice
Cal State L.A. event to commemorate 1968 student walkouts at L.A. high schools
Los Angeles, CA -- Commemorating the 40th anniversary of a historic protest by Los Angeles high school students, Mario T. GarcÃa, professor of history and Chicano studies at UC Santa Barbara, will present “Blowout: Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice” on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2 p.m., in King Hall Lecture Hall I, on the Cal State L.A. campus.
This free lecture is based on GarcÃa’s forthcoming book on the social and economic conditions in Los Angeles that led to a mass demonstration by Chicano youth in 1968. In an action that came to be known as the “blowout,” students walked out of high school classrooms as a collective protest against an inferior education. GarcÃa’s talk also spotlights the leadership of an instructor, Sal Castro, who led the demonstration under the banner of educational rights for Mexican Americans.
GarcÃa is the director of the Latino Leadership Project and the research liaison between the Department of Chicano Studies and the Center for Chicano Studies at UCSB. He is also the author of several other books on Mexican American leaders, including Mexican Americans: Leadership, Ideology, Identity.
The lecture and book signing are sponsored by The Friends of the Cal State L.A. Library, along with the University’s Chicano Studies and History departments. A selection of GarcÃa’s books will be available for purchase and signing.
The Friends of the Cal State L.A. Library is a volunteer organization established to contribute to the growth and excellence of the Library’s collections and to foster collaboration with the community by sharing the Library’s cultural and educational resources. The Friends support life-long learning through the development of library programs and resources, promote public awareness of the Library, and raise contributions to sustain its excellence.
Members of the Friends of the Cal State L.A. Library have borrowing privileges, receive notices of special cultural events, and have access to Library computers with a guest account. For information about becoming a Library Friend, visit www.calstatela.edu/library/FOL or call the Office of the University Librarian at 323-343-3953. For parking information and other inquiries, call 323-343-3974.
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