 |
|
Updated July 03, 2002
|
|
The Boycott of the Centro is Still in Effect!
On May 4, 2000, the Board of the Centro Cultural de la Raza called the San Diego Police against the group of Chicano/a community-based artists, activists, students, educators, cultural workers and elders who had come to voice their concerns about the Board's exclusionary policies, dissolution of the Arts Advisory Committees, censorship and harrassment of artists and all those who had the courage to question the corporate-style changes being made to the Centro Cultural de la Raza. Then-Board president Guadalupe Corona told Police she had been "held hostage" at an April 29, 2000 public meeting called by the community to address their concerns. The Board called the police again on May 8 when the community returned to protest the May 4 police action. Over the past two years, the police have been called repeatedly to patrol pickets at the Centro.
The boycott of the Centro Cultural de la Raza has been in continuous effect since May, 2000. The current Board of Directors led by Guadalupe Corona, Aida Mancillas, Art Rivera (now Board President) and now-Executive Director Nancy Rodriguez has made no attempts at resolution in all this time and continues to exclude local artists, activists and educators who question the corporate take-over of this historic and much-needed grassroots Chicano/Mexicano/Indigenous community cultural arts organization.
Please take a moment to remember the ouster of Arts Advisory Board representative Valerie Aranda, the refusal to allow the striking Mexicana Marriott workers to meet at the Centro, the harrassment of artists, the ouster of the women from Danza Mixcoatl and the unconscionable forced exclusion of socially and politically conscious artists, activists, educators, students and working class cultural workers from their beloved place of social, political and cultural nacimiento.
Please respect the boycott of the Centro Cultural de la Raza and demand that the current Board be held accountable for their actions. No Se Olvide.
La Lucha continua.
