Watch the presentation by Carmen Dolores Hernández on Ricardo Alegría, who widened our understanding of what it means to be Puerto Rican. His pioneering scholarship showed us the essential elements of Puerto Rican culture. In the first half of the twentieth century, academia did not acknowledge Puerto Rican culture and identity. His writings on African and indigenous history and folklore and his study and practice of preservation of arts, artifacts, and local practices became central to the study and appreciation of Puerto Rican heritage.

Celebrate the centennial of his life with a presentation of his accomplishments by Dr. Carmen Dolores Hernández, author of Ricardo Alegría. Una vida. Dr. Hernández is a free-lance journalist, specializing in literature, who has been publishing weekly book reviews since 1981 and has authored and edited multiple books. She has interviewed many leading figures in Spanish and Latin American literature such as Nobel Prize winner and novelist Mario Vargas Llosa. Dr. Hernández has a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the University of Puerto Rico and an M.A. from New York University’s program in Spain.