ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Dr. Margaret L. Morris, coordinator of modern languages and an associate professor of Spanish at South Carolina State University, has been awarded a mini grant by South Carolina Humanities.
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Margaret L. Morris
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Morris’s project, "Celebrating Hispanic Diversity, Language and Culture," will enlighten the community about several aspects of the Hispanic population, since it is the largest minority group in the United States. The goal is to replace stereotypes with facts so the community will have knowledge about the contributions this group has made to American society.
Four presenters have been chosen from North Carolina and Virginia; therefore, this grant will reach beyond the borders of the Palmetto State. Hispanic Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) is an ideal time to commence with this series on Hispanic diversity, language and culture.
The virtual series will begin in September with a presentation on the economic impact of knowing how to speak Spanish on the job.
The last presentation for the Fall Semester will be done in October and it will coincide with the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. This presentation will discuss the meaning of Hispanic gestures.
The third presentation will take place in February during Black History Month. The audience will learn that Blacks in America have a similar history as Afro-Hispanics. In March, the final session will be done. Its focus is obstacles many Hispanics face when they are enrolled in English as a second language classes.
Morris, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, is beginning her 12th year at SC State. She has 50 years of teaching experience and has taught at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Virginia and North Carolina. At SC State, she serves as the founder and adviser to Sigma Delta Pi National Spanish Honor Society and the SC State NAACP unit.
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