UIC Hosts Renowned Mexican Poet and Activist

WHO/WHAT:
“When Silence Comes Upon a Poet — National Emergency in Mexico.” The University of Illinois at Chicago will host a public lecture by award-winning Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia.

WHEN:
April 17
2 – 4 p.m.

WHERE:
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
800 S. Halsted St.

DETAILS:
Javier Sicilia, a renowned Latin American poet and novelist, will share his journey from writing poetry to launching the national Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity in Mexico. He started the movement shortly after his son’s death — a victim of drug war violence.

The movement has mobilized thousands of Mexican citizens to call for greater government accountability and changes in security and law enforcement policies. Time Magazine recognized Sicilia’s activist work in its 2011 Person of Year issue honoring “the Protester.”

He was awarded the 2009 Aguascalientes National Award in Poetry, one of the most prestigious honors in Mexican literature.

Admission is free, but seating is limited. For more information or to RSVP, call (312) 996-2445.

The event is presented by the UIC Latin American and Latino studies program.