During this event in JMU's Memorial Hall on October 22, we will build community, engage in dialogue, and experience artistic expression related to Día de los Muertos as an environment for justice and reconciliation. 

We come to this acknowledging and celebrating that Latinx and Latin American cultures are the result of the mixing of Indigenous, colonial, African, new immigrant cultures (and more), and celebrate the forms of fall commemorations that result from this mixing.

We will host the HT 94 exhibit with a corresponding program focused on Justice and Reconciliation. This will be an opportunity to experience an exhibit and presentation about the importance of memorial spaces to acknowledge cultural practices around trauma, and collaborate with our community while reflecting on their own cultural traditions surrounding traumatic events.

This year, the event features performances from local cultural organizers and performers: the Lua Project and Poet, Ariana Brown.

We encourage participants to reflect on and share how cultural traditions regarding loss, grief and trauma can assist with encouraging actions to remedy these injustices and return to their own communities willing to share how commemorations can be an environment for justice and reconciliation.

As the sixth annual co-curricular event, this space is intended to bring together students, faculty, staff, and local community members from the Shenandoah Valley to learn across generations and identities. By learning about the celebration of Día de los Muertos and other Latinx cultural commemorative traditions, together we can build a more evolved global mindset. 

Please note that while this event is open to all community members, due to the nature of the content it may not be appropriate for a younger audience.

By attending this event, participants will make progress towards: 

• Developing an understanding and appreciation, with a lens of cultural awareness, for how Día de los Muertos can be celebrated at JMU
• Sharing experiences between community scholars and JMU community members, with a focus on how culture and traditions can reveal connections across the Americas
• Experiencing the integral component of artistic creativity in the celebration of Día de los Muertos and other Latino/a/x centered commemorations regarding loss,  grief, and trauma
• Building community around spaces for learning where participants collaborate across generations and identities to build a global mindset

Organizers and sponsors:

Furious Flower Poetry Center, Center for Multicultural Student Services (CMSS), JMU Student Life, and JMU Libraries

Location and parking information:

The event will be held in the Forum in Memorial Hall (395 South High Street, Harrisonburg). Visitors (community members) may park in any JMU Memorial Hall parking lot to attend the event; no parking permits or vouchers will be necessary. However, all regulations for JMU students, faculty and staff will remain in effect. Learn more about bus service and parking for JMU Libraries locations, including Memorial Hall.

Sign up:

Please sign up by selecting "Begin Registration" below. Signing up ahead of time is so helpful for our planning!

Questions? 

Please contact Elaine Kaye (robertef@jmu.edu) with any questions about this event.