Word Up for Women's Week!

A little bit late, but congrats to the MCC folks involved with this year’s Lowell Women’s Week.  In particular, kudos to the first Latina led, Latina focused program, held at the college’s Federal Building.

The program, entitled “Hispanic Women Moving Forward” brought folks together to celebrate Hispanic women and to strengthen partnerships with Latino and non-Latino members of the community in this first Hispanic Women’s program.  The goal was to honor Hispanic women who are moving forward, and through their perseverance and hard work, contributing so much to their communities.

Program participants included Darcy Orellana, Maria Cunha and Lura Smith from MCC, Giovanna Negretti, the guest speaker, Maria Vejar and Darmery Montoya from Lowell High School, as well as Maria Lopez from the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership.

Approximately 75 women from the Greater Lowell area attended the event.  Negretti made a special trip from Puerto Rico, where she had been caring for a sick grandmother, to attend the event.  She spoke about the power and contributions of Hispanic women in their families, communities, schools and professional lives; the multiple ways Latinas contribute to their communities, often unrecognized; the need for Latinos to get involved in their communities, in community service and political action, and the importance of education as a key to success.

Negretti is the co-founder and Executive Director of Oiste, founded in 1999 by several Latino activists from across the state who were concerned about the lack of Latino political representation and participation in Massachusetts.