Alvin Hippolyte to Open Inaugural Saint Lucian Independence Lecture in New York
NEW YORK, NY – To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Saint Lucia’s independence, the office of the Saint Lucia Consulate General in New York has scheduled the inaugural Saint Lucia Independence Lecture for February 13, 2014 at 6:30PM at the Richard Harris Terrace, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), located at 199 Chambers Street, New York.
Professor Alvin Hippolyte, Saint Lucian actor, director, and writer, will speak at the event, which is open to the public and will be attended by Saint Lucians, Caribbean students, and other special guests. A United Nations Fellow in theatre, Hippolyte has also served as Director of Culture in Saint Lucia. He has acted and directed off Broadway and currently functions in both capacities with the reputable Brave New World Theatre Repertory Company in Brooklyn, New York.
A former Professor of Speech and Theatre at Medgar Evers College, as well as Kingsborough, Queensborough, and the Borough of Manhattan Community Colleges, Hippolyte has also been a guest artist at numerous colleges, including his alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C. He has acted with the Folger Shakespeare Theatre and the Jean Cocteau Repertory Theatre. Hippolyte has written plays, short stories, and poetry, and he is currently working on his first novel. At the inaugural lecture, Hipployte’s presentation will focus on the role of Saint Lucians in the Diaspora in the ongoing development of Saint Lucia.
“I am very excited and pleased to welcome Professor Hippolyte as the inaugural speaker for our Independence Lecture,” said the Hon. Julian Du Bois, Saint Lucia’s Consul General in New York. “As an active Saint Lucian in the Diaspora, college professor, and writer, Alvin brings unparalleled depth and insight into our national development.”
Du Bois also stated that “a key reason for introducing our Independence Lecture is to provide Saint Lucians particularly students, an opportunity to meaningfully engage in discussion on the future of our beloved homeland. There are many substantial issues facing Saint Lucia and the Caribbean, and we need to collectively consider how to address these challenges. I certainly look forward to hearing Alvin present his insights at this inaugural event.”
The next scheduled event is the New York Premiere of “Poetry is an Island,” a documentary film about the life and works of the Hon. Derek Alton Walcott, Nobel Laureate. The screening will be held on February 16, 2014 at 3:00PM at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, located at 1 E 42nd Street, New York. Admission to the event is free, but patrons must RSVP to attend.
The Consulate General of Saint Lucia invites all Saint Lucians and friends to take part in the Independence 35 celebrations.
