Columbia University to Adopt El Diario/La Prensa's Photo Archive, 9/17

El Diario/La Prensa on its 100th Anniversary Celebration has partnered with Columbia University's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race (CSER) and the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library to preserve over 5,000 of its archival photographs. The announcement took place on Tuesday, September 17 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mary Woodward Lasker Building, 3960 Broadway, in Upper Manhattan.

As part of the partnership, CSER and the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at Columbia University have acquired the publication's photo collection for digitation, indexing, preservation and inclusion in the library's Latino Arts and Activism Collection.

"As a New York institution, our wish is to have the collection archived, preserved and accessible for generations to come. I value Columbia University's commitment and think this is a perfect partnership," said Rossana Rosado, Publisher of El Diario/La Prensa.

Detailed archival work on the collection will be conducted under the supervision of Michael T. Ryan, Director of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library. "This is probably one of the richest sources that we could have imagined. We are really quite privileged and honored to be the custodians of this world class archive and are grateful to El Diario/La Prensa in its Centenial Year for making it available to us," Ryan Said.

Also as part of the partnership, Columbia and El Diario/La Prensa are launching simultaneous exhibits at locations including the King Juan Carlos I Center at New York University; Hostos Community College, in the Bronx; CSER at Columbia University's main campus; the Russ Berrie Medical Pavillion, and the Mary Woodward Lasker building at Columbia University Medical Center. The exhibit called "In The Headlines: Latino New Yorkers 1980-2001" will be followed by numerous events hosted by El Diario/La Prensa in celebration of its 100th Anniversary. Each venue will showcase a curated selection of photographic reproductions, newspaper articles, and frontpages, thematically designed to highlight Latino social, cultural, economic and political, growth in New York City, as seen through the pages of El Diario/La Prensa.

Rosado also announced other special events and partnerships commemorating the Centennial of El Diario/La Prensa, which include music, a theater festival and gala at Grand Central Terminal, as well as functions at the New York Historical Society, and other landmarks. On October 12th, 2013, the exact day of the newspaper's 100th Anniversary, the Empire State Building will be lit in blue and red,El Diario/La Prensa's signature colors, in honor of the publication's centennial.

El Diario/LaPrensa has also joined forces with the New York Historical Society to celebrate its 100th Anniversary and Hispanic Heritage Month with a special installment of "Hablemos de Historia y del Arte/Let's Talk About History and Art," the celebrated series of Spanish language guided tours and educational workshops at the Society's museum, 170 Central Park West. The event for children ages 5-12 and families will take place on Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. It will focus on "el Nueva York de Ayer y Hoy" (Yesterday's and Today's New York). Admission is free, but reservation is required. For reservations email Rosa Tejada at Rosa.Tejada@NYHistory.Org.

On October 17, 2013 at 1:00 p.m., El Diario/La Prensa will unveil a bilingual social studies curriculum for high school and intermediate schools, documenting Latino history in New York City over the last 100 years, as covered through the pages of the newspaper. The project was developed in partnership with the Fall 2012 "Education That is Multicultural" graduate class at the City College of New York's Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture. The curriculum titles "Latino Social Justice in New York 1913-2013" comprises 7 areas of study or "lessons" with corresponding activities and support materials, focused on subjects such as media, health, education, housing, arts and culture, civil rights, housing, and language among others. The unveiling will take place at the Gregorio Luperon High School, 501 W. 165th Street in Upper Manhattan, where the curriculum's pilot was implemented last spring.

On October 25, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. El Diario/La Prensa will host Latino Theater and Music Fiesta at Grand Central Terminal, another New York City Landmark that this year celebrated its 100th Anniversary. The event at the historic Vanderbilt Hall is free and open to the public. Entertainment will be provided by the Latino Theater Alliance of New York, an organization that groups nine of the main Latino theater companies in the city, IATI, INTAR, Pregones Theater, Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Repertorio Español, Teatro Círculo, Teatro La Tea, Teatro SEA/Latino Children's Theater of New York, and Thalia Spanish Theater.