FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joseph Rendeiro
jrendeiro@nclr.org
(202) 776-1566
WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR applauds the selection of acclaimed opera singer Martina Arroyo and legendary musician Carlos Santana as recipients of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors, announced earlier today. NCLR and other Latino organizations have long advocated for greater diversity in this prestigious program.
“Today’s announcement confirms what we in the Latino community have known for years: there is a wealth of talent in our community deserving of this kind of honor,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “As icons in Latino entertainment, Martina Arroyo and Carlos Santana embody the enormous contributions Hispanics have made to American culture, not only in popular entertainment, but also in the fine arts.”
NCLR has partnered with sister organizations including the National Hispanic Foundation of the Arts and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda to work with the Kennedy Center’s president, Michael Kaiser, and its board of directors on a series of initiatives to strengthen its relationship with the Latino community, including a revised Honors selection process.
“We commend the Kennedy Center’s leadership for making the necessary changes in the selection process that resulted in the broad diversity of this year’s class of honorees,” added Murguía. “We congratulate Martina Arroyo and Carlos Santana, as well as all of the other nominees, on this well-deserved honor.”
Recipients of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors also include jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, actress Shirley MacLaine and acclaimed musician Billy Joel. The ceremony honors artists for outstanding lifetime achievement in the fields of dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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