Members of the Rice Community have the opportunity to observe Dia de Muertos by visiting the lobby of Rayzor Hall between October 28 – November 6, 2020. On November 2 at 5:00 pm, they can watch a Zoom event, live-streamed from Rayzor.
The theme of this year’s annual Dia de Muertos event, hosted by the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC), honors those who were impacted by the various crises of 2020, including COVID-19, police brutality, and natural disasters. The idea expands on last year’s display, which honored children who died in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The motto Tu Lucha es mi Lucha (your struggle is my struggle) evokes solidarity and community in a time of despair.
Visitors to Rayzor will see stories of the victims honored and will be able to watch a video, with subtitles in both Spanish and English, explaining the tradition of Dia de Muertos and the theme of this year’s observance. Visitors are encouraged to contribute to the display by leaving paper flowers, writing messages, or contributing artwork inspired by the pieces on the altar.
Charla Bennaji, Lujan Stasevicius, and Luziris Pineda Turi, members of the CLIC faculty, organized the event. They partnered with HACER (Hispanic Association of Cultural Enrichment at Rice) and CLIC Spanish students to provide content for the video currently playing in the Rayzor lobby.
Watch Dr. Pineda Turi give a preview in the video below.
And don’t forget to join us on Zoom November 2 at 5:00 pm.