Contact: Ahmad Ward
Phone: 205.328.9696, ext. 234
Fax: 205.323.5219
E-mail award@bcri.org
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to Present “American Boricua,” by Award-Winning
Photojournalist Wanda Benvenutti on November 7, 2015-January 31, 2016
October 13, 2015-- The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) and the Alabama Humanities Foundation, state
affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will present “American Boricua,” a documentary
photography exhibition by award-winning photojournalist Wanda Benvenutti. The exhibition will run from
Saturday, November 7, 2015 to Sunday, January 31, 2016 in the Odessa Woolfolk Gallery.
“The word ‘Boricua’ is a term of endearment Puerto Ricans use for one another,” stated Benvenutti, who is
a first-generation mainland-born Boricua. “It is derived from the Native Taino word for the island,
‘Boriken’, which means “Brave Noble Lord.” It is the essence of that ‘sabor’ that flavor that makes Boricua
culture unique.”
“This exhibition will help educate the public about the experiences of Puerto Ricans living in the U.S.,”
stated Ahmad Ward, BCRI Head of Education and Exhibitions. “While Puerto Rico has been a part of the
United States for nearly 100 years, few citizens understand that unique political and cultural relationship.
Ms. Benvenutti,” Ward continued, “traveled throughout the country and captured the images of Boricuas
who live, work, love, and carry on the business of being Puerto Rican here in the United States.”
Wanda Benvenutti lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father Jesus arrived in New York from Salinas,
Puerto Rico in 1961. She is a freelance photojournalist who earned a B. A. in English and Latin American
Studies from Oberlin College and a M. S. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Her work has been recognized by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Press
Photographers Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2008 Wanda was named a Seattle
City Artist by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and her work can be seen in the book 100 New York
Photographers by Cynthia Maris Dantzic.
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Birmingham Civil Rights Institute ● 520 16th Street North ● Birmingham, AL 35203 ● www.bcri.org ● 205-328-9696
About BCRI: The mission of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is to enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by
exploring our common past and working together in the present to build a better future. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, an affiliate of
the Smithsonian Institution, is a cultural and educational research center that promotes a comprehensive understanding and appreciation for
the significance of civil rights developments in Birmingham, with an increasing emphasis on the international struggle for universal human
rights. BCRI is a “living institution” that views the lessons of the past as crucial to understanding our heritage and defining our future. Since
opening its doors in 1992, BCRI has been visited by more than 2 million people from all 50 states and around the world. Visitors include
adults, school children and students, families, researchers, and scholars.
Each year, BCRI reaches more than 140,000 individuals through teacher education (including curriculum development and teacher training,
group tours, outreach programs (school and community), award-winning after-school and public programs, exhibitions and extensive archival
collections. BCRI encourages visitors to examine basic issues of morality, law, justice and responsible citizenship. It also teaches that silence
and indifference to the suffering of others can only perpetuate social problems and divisions.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute ● 520 16th Street North ● Birmingham, AL 35203 ● www.bcri.org ● 205-328-9696