SFA’s Office of Multicultural Affairs to host Noche de Gala

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host Noche de Gala in celebration of Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 in the Baker Pattillo Student Center Twilight Ballroom.

“Noche de Gala is a Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month event that focuses on celebrating the diverse identities that exist within the Latinx community,” said Andrea Flores, OMA student ambassador.

This year’s keynote speaker is Cassandra Alicia, founder of the popular online Latina feminist social media page @Xicanisma. She will discuss the indigenous Latinx community.

Alicia, an El Paso resident, said she started Xicanisma in 2014 to disrupt oppressive narratives through critical analysis and humor. She wanted a place for Chicanas and Latinas to express their views and opinions online and create a community, though she said it has now grown into a place to highlight the struggles of all marginalized groups. Since its creation, the page has expanded across Instagram and Facebook, gathering more than 205,000 followers.

In addition to managing Xicanisma, Alicia is a community organizer and outspoken advocate for Latinx rights. She also is the cohost of the Bitter Brown Femmes podcast, which offers critiques and commentary regarding social justice, pop culture and Latinx issues.

Noche de Gala attendees also will have the opportunity to learn more about the diverse Latinx culture by listening to Latinx music and watching performers, as well as viewing a Latinx art gallery and tasting Afro-Latinx-inspired cuisine.

Tickets are available online through the OMA Marketplace at bit.ly/2KO3PqD or in person at the Information Desk on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center. Admission is $2 for students with a canned good or $3 without, $10 for faculty and staff members, and $15 for community members.

For more information, visit sfasu.edu/oma.

By Emily Brown, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.