Katharine Donato, Ph.D. Suggested donation $10

The 2013 Óscar Romero Award will be given to Ms. Blanca Velázquez Díaz, a champion of worker rights and dignity in Mexico. The twelfth such award given by the Rothko Chapel since 1986, this award honors unsung heroes who work under extraordinary circumstances to advance human rights. The award is named after Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was murdered on March 24, 1980 because of his opposition to violence and his courageous defense of the poor in his country. In order to highlight and contextualize Ms. Velázquez Díaz’s significant work, the Rothko Chapel will present several programs preceding the presentation of the Award.

Mexico is America’s largest neighbor but American press centers almost exclusively around drug trafficking and violent crime. Katharine Donato, Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University and Chair Editor of the American Sociological Review, will paint a comprehensive overview of contemporary Mexican society, including issues of gender, labor, and human rights. Katharine Donato has done considerable research for government and academic institutions on issues of gender and migration, particularly in Mexico.