Event: Mina SayWhat Speaks On Education And Literacy With Philly Mayor

I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak at Congresso De Latino Unido in Philly, one of the largest Spanish organizations in Philly helping in the advancement of the latino community, about the importance of education and literacy along with Philadelphia Mayor Nutter at the induction and ribbon ceremony. The program is funded by the mayor and his commission and has started 3 learning places called “MyPlace” in Philly to help adults complete their education and improve reading skills.  Not all the people taking advantage of this program are Spanish speakers, but primarily for me, I identified with those taking advantage of this program because of a language barrier. I grew up helping my mom communicate with non-Spanish speaking individuals, helping her understand letters, parent-teacher conferences, etc etc. My mother was a college educated nurse in her country (she was even on the radio as well), but when coming to this country she struggled with the language.  I also have friends who never graduated high school nor furthered their education and are now struggling for jobs. I am glad someone is paying attention to this huge problem.  It was an honor to speak in front of the mayor and all the powerful people that put this together. Below are some pictures, the mayors speech and an interview i did after i spoke. I want to thank Lorraine Ballad Morrill who continues to believe in me and get me involved in events like this. Also thank you to the Mayor’s office and the Al-Dia newspaper for the coverage on this. 🙂

Photo Credits: Martin Regusters

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