The Ramsey County Library has been selected to receive a Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA).
The library is one of 203 recipients selected from across the country, but the only one from Minnesota. The library will receive a cash grant of $3,000 to hold public programming about Latino history and culture.
The Library will also receive the six-part, NEH-supported documentary film "Latino Americans," created for PBS in 2013 by the WETA public television station. The award-winning series chronicles the history of Latinos in the United States from the 16th century to present day. To learn more about the series, go to www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/.)
"Latino Americans are now the country's largest minority group, with more than 50 million people," said Judy Woodward, history coordinator for the library. "According to recent Census figures, the percentage of area residents of Hispanic background is growing rapidly. I'm delighted that Ramsey County Library will have the opportunity to explore the rich and varied history of this part of our community."
A five-part, bi-lingual series of programs featuring film, traditional Latino music, and discussions of Latino-American history led by Macalester College professor Ernesto Capello will begin on October 6. Watch the Library's website, www.rclreads.org, for more information.
